


Love Isn't An Illusion

by darcangell23, grlnxtdr29



Category: Glee
Genre: Illusionist Blaine, Kurt has a Pet Tiger, M/M, Quinn and Elliott are cousins, Sabotage!, everyone is jealous, everyone thinks they hate each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28353504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darcangell23/pseuds/darcangell23, https://archiveofourown.org/users/grlnxtdr29/pseuds/grlnxtdr29
Summary: World renowned magician, Blaine Blackwell (AKA Blaine Anderson,) is living the dream life, performing around the world with the love of his life. But which of his six assistants is this mysterious love? The fans seem divided. Is it his main assistant, Tina? Or maybe Rachel? There's no way it could be Kurt. Blaine is straight. Isn’t he? Besides, Kurt and Blaine hate each other…
Relationships: Kurt Hummel/Blaine Anderson
Comments: 31
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is another collaboration with darcangell23. We hope to update once a week, on Saturdays. Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Reviews always appreciated!

**Chapter One**

The audience erupted into cheers and applause as the music dropped the beat and Tina popped out of the box in a completely different outfit than she had started in. Blaine grinned and offered his hand to help her out of the box, only to be deafened by louder cheers. It was no secret the fans thought he and Tina were a thing.

Tina spun into his arms and they came to a stop on the explosive final note of the track for the illusion. Blaine stood there breathing heavily as he stared into Tina’s eyes while the crowd cheered.

Suddenly, there was another explosive note, and a tall, slender pale man stormed onto the stage as the music picked up in a kind of threatening theme. The audience delighted in the story that began to play out on the stage.

The pale man, one of Blaine’s other assistants, took a hold of Tina by the arm and pulled her spinning to him. Blaine shot back an angry look and grabbed Tina by the other arm and the two of them both began to pull on her. Tina waddled back and forth, a shocked expression on her face.

Blaine and his assistant opened their mouths like they were arguing, glaring daggers at each other and then they suddenly both let go of Tina and she stumbled forward, looking at both men before tossing her hair and stomping off.

The threatening theme music picked up speed as Blaine and his assistant lunged for each other, now trying to fight the other with both hands on the other’s shoulders. They struggled, but the assistant was getting the upper hand.

It was only at this time the audience saw the cage with the live tiger that had been rolled onto the stage.

The assistant pushed Blaine back and Blaine made a show of trying to take control. His hands dropped from the other’s shoulders in order to grasp the bars of the cage in an attempt to stop his assistant from pushing him in.

One hard shove - or seemingly hard shove - and the magician fell into the cage. The assistant, whose name was Kurt, slammed the cage door with a smirk. He then turned and picked up a large padlock from a side table, raised it in the air to show the audience. Blaine was making a show of being frightened of the tiger, clinging to the bars and trying to squeeze his way out through them, while the cat circled the cage.

Kurt slapped the padlock on the door and made a show of dancing around the cage for a few moments, making triumphant faces at Blaine. As the tiger appeared to take a swipe at Blaine, he dodged to the side and grabbed a red drape, backing himself into a corner, away from the padlocked opening. He pulled the drape around in front of himself. And then up over his head. When the drape fell to the floor, Blaine was gone.

Kurt spun around and stared at the cage, dumbfounded, as Tina rushed back on stage, dragging a large screen between the pale man in front of the cage and the audience, and off the other side of the stage, blocking the audience's view for only a few seconds. When the screen had passed the cage and the audience could see once more, Blaine was standing where Kurt had been only a heartbeat ago, and Kurt was now trapped inside the cage with the pacing tiger.

The audience cheered their approval as Tina danced into Blaine’s arms, and they walked off the stage together.

Once the curtain had swung closed, Kurt smiled and rubbed the tiger behind the ears. “Good job, Raja!” The tiger bumped his leg, making the pale man laugh as the stagehands began pushing the cage off stage. “You’ll get your treat in just a minute, sweetie!”

“I’d love to give you a treat,” one of the stage crew said, winking at Kurt. The pale man turned to look at the other, folding his arms across his chest and raising an eyebrow.

“Honestly,” Kurt started, suddenly studying his nails. He had tried being straightforward with the guy because he just wasn’t his type. Kurt would sooner date Elliott and the two of them had always felt more like brothers than romantic interests. “I’d rather have my chest waxed.”

“You don’t have chest hair,” the stagehand said.

Kurt stared at him. “How the hell would you know?” he asked, hugging himself. “Do you have cameras in my dressing room?”

The stagehand decided to laugh it off, like they were joking, despite the fact that Kurt was dead serious. “You know, you look so hot when you are fighting with Blaine. If you hate the guy so much, why are you working for him?”

“Adam,” Kurt started and the other gave him a saucy grin. “You’re an idiot,” the pale man finished before he turned to go and give Raja his treat.

“You know Blaine is straight, right?” Adam called out to Kurt’s retreating back. He didn’t get to hear if Kurt responded because he was being called to help with something in the back. Blaine didn’t need any props set up for the final illusion, just a small, low platform that had been set up on the stage.

The curtains reopened to show Blaine sitting on the edge of the stage. He’d had a costume change and was casually dressed in a white button down with the shirt tail hanging out and dark wash jeans. He sat with one knee pulled up to his chest and the other leg hanging off the stage.

“You guys ever remember what it was like to be a kid?” he asked, looking out at the audience. “Not a care in the world but to play with your friends and grumble over homework.” The audience laughed and Blaine stood up, still looking out at them all. “My favorite thing about being a kid was taking family vacations. Trips to Disney and water parks and road trips. But the one trip that sticks out in my mind was the first time I ever went to New York City. My family and I went there for Christmas and there is nothing like standing in Times Square as the snow falls all around you.”

From his shirt pocket, Blaine produced a fan and he held up his other hand, fisting it as though he were holding something.

“Just imagine those flakes fluttering all around you.” Blaine held his fist out and started to fan it with the fan and flutters of little white confetti like papers soared out over the audience from his hand.

Blowing the last few away, he smiled around at the audience and turned to walk over to the platform, stepping up and grabbing the blanket that was resting atop it.

“Every now and then, I like to try and remember that feeling. How I felt to be standing there in the heart of New York City with the snow fluttering all around me. I was about eight or nine.” Blaine raised the blanket and made a move like he was wrapping it around himself. “Tonight, I’d like to try and remember that feeling one more time.”

Blaine lifted the blanket off his shoulders and slowly raised it higher as he turned around to face the back of the stage. Soft, wonderous music had started and the audience watched on as the blanket went up, hiding the magician from view. And then, it slowly came down, lower and lower until Blaine had turned into a small boy and the audience ahed at the sight. As the boy turned around, snow began to fall from the ceiling and he looked up, smiling and turning in a slow circle with his arms out to the sides.

The stage lights had dimmed around child Blaine, leaving only a spotlight on him as he spun in the circle. And then they came up again, revealing Blaine standing on the platform and he slowly spun with his child self.

The snow floated out to the audience as Blaine came to a stop and moved forward with his hands out. “I hope my show and this moment particularly, has reminded you all that even if your childhood is long behind you, you can still believe in magic and never forget what it felt like to be a kid. Goodnight!”

Cheers and applause rang out in the audience as the curtain swung shut.

…

**_@BlackwellsmyDaddy:_ ** _ Another amazing performance tonight, @BBlackwell! Will you PLEASE let me be your apprentice? I want to learn all your tricks! _

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ I loved the chemistry between Blaine and Tina tonight! But why, WHY, did Kurt have to get in the way? Stay out of their lives. Tina doesn’t want you! _

**_@Kina4eva:_ ** _ Don’t listen to them, Kurt! Everyone knows you and Tina are the real deal! _

**_@blueandhazellove:_ ** _ Are you all really that blind? _

**_@lucy8675309:_ ** _ Was so great seeing @LucyQFabray on stage tonight! Glad she’s recovering from her injury quickly! _

**_@SmellsLikeAdamLambert:_ ** _ Whatevs...Blaine is HOT no matter who you ship him with _

**_@IDanceforTina:_ ** _ Tina could do so much better than either of them. She’s way out of their league! _

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ You guys are just so delusional! It’s obvious Blaine and Tina are deeply in love! Don’t you see the way he looks into her eyes? _

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ He doesn’t look at Rachel or Quinn like that! _

**_@WeareTHENiff:_ ** _ Just think, we knew @BBlackwell before he was @BBlackwell! Great job tonight, bro! Can’t wait to see you again in Columbus! _

**_@KelliotStalker:_ ** _ @Kina4eva, You really should get your eyes checked. It’s obvious Kurt and Elliott are soulmates! _

**_@yadivagirl:_ ** _ I just want to tell @GlaszandPorcelain how much he inspires me everyday! The way he treats @KingRaja with so much love and respect! Wish I could find someone who looks at me like that! _

**_@BlainePicksABerry:_ ** _ @IShipBlina, I beg to differ! Rachel and Blaine have much more chemistry, and she’s way more talented than Tina, or Quinn! _

**_@sexonastickDreams:_ ** _ Please, Blaine doesn’t want tits, he wants dicks! _

**_@Kina4eva:_ ** _ Shut Up @sexonastickDreams! _

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ Shut Up @sexonastickDreams _

**_@blueandhazellove:_ ** _ Shove it, @sexonastickDreams _

**_@Kurtisastar:_ ** _ @GlaszandPorcelain should quit and do his own show! Kurt is the only one with talent on that stage! _

**_@KingRaja:_ ** _ Meow meow mreow, ROAR! (Translation; Please, please stop FIGHTING!) _

**_@GlaszandPorcelain:_ ** _ Good Kitty! #OnlyLove _

**_@FlashDanceGirl:_ ** _ Who’s going to the late show? ;) _

…

“Great show, everyone!” Blaine called out as they had their post performance huddle. “You all did amazing tonight! Though, Kurt, maybe you could be a little more careful with that last shove? I banged my shoulder on the cage.”

Kurt sneered. “Oh I’m sorry. I didn’t realize precious Blaine’s skin was so sensitive,” he spat, rolling his eyes. “I’m going back to the hotel to give myself ample time to relax before the next show.”

Blaine glared at the auburn haired man’s retreating back, as Tina let out a little huff. “Why do you let him talk to you like that?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Rachel spat out. “What is his problem, anyway?”

Blaine just shrugged. “If he goes, Raja goes with him, and I’d be out one of my most popular illusions. Plus, he’s very good at his job. It would be hard to find someone to replace him.”

Sebastian leered at him. “I don’t know, I think I’d be up for that challenge.”

Blaine gave Sebastian a subtle once over with a blank expression. “I can see that,” he deadpanned. “Thanks, but no thanks. There are just parts of the choreography that only Kurt can pull off. You’re just not as flexible as he is. Besides, you’re so not my type.”

Quinn and Elliott both tried to hide their snorts of laughter, although not very successfully. “Come on, Let’s let Blaine get back to the hotel so he can eat before the late show. You know how cranky he gets when his blood sugar drops,” Quinn said, linking her arm through the world renowned magician’s.

…

Kurt let the hot water wash over him, feeling his muscles relax. He always got wound up during a performance, though the earlier, family friendly show wasn’t nearly as stressful as the later, adults only performance. He was glad they only did the adult performances twice a week, on Friday and Saturday nights.

He had just finished washing his hair, when he heard the bathroom door open, and a smile played over his face as he turned to the man who had just slipped into the shower with him.

“Well, hello stranger. Finally managed to slip away?”

The shorter man just stepped in closer to him and claimed his mouth. Kurt moaned into the kiss and spun them around, pinning the other man to the tiled wall.

“You were so fucking hot on that stage tonight!” the man said. “I wanted to kiss you so bad when we were doing the exchange in the cage, but that would have thrown the entire timing off!”

“Yeah, and Raja would have been knocking you off your feet! You know how jealous he gets.”

Blaine laughed. “That cat adores you. I don’t know how you have him eating out of your hand like you do.”

Kurt pressed up against him, leaning in to lick up the shorter man’s neck. “Mm, well, I know how I have you eating out of my hand,” he said in a seductive tone, drawing a moan from Blaine.

“I don’t know how much longer we can keep this up,” the magician suddenly said, and Kurt pulled back startled.

“Keep what up?” he asked, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.

Blaine raised a hand and gently rubbed his thumb over Kurt’s cheek. “Pretending like we hate each other. It’s getting to the point where the others are wondering why I don’t fire you.” He frowned slightly.

Kurt leaned into the touch for a moment. “You know, I don’t even remember why we’re hiding it, but it’s for a good cause. At least for now.”

The shorter man sighed, leaning up to capture Kurt’s lips in a sweet kiss. He couldn’t remember why they were hiding it either. It had been a while. But it was getting harder and harder to pretend like he hated Kurt in front of the public eye and it wasn’t like he was in the closet or anything. Blaine was an open book, but he’d always had an easy time at passing off as straight and he had figured in the beginning that it might be safer to just not address his sexuality either way.

So he always kept them guessing. Act one way and people thought he was straight, but then switch it up and they started questioning. Why should it matter whether he was gay or straight anyway? His sexuality had no impact on his skills as a magician.

“I hate pretending like I hate you. It’s getting harder and harder to do when all I really want is to shout to the world that I love Kurt Hummel,” Blaine said quietly.

Kurt pulled him into his arms and stared into his eyes. “I love you, too, Blaine. You know I do. At least for now, we can take solace in the fact that we can let our guard down around Quinn and Elliott.”

“Speaking of which,” Blaine said, “Quinn is distracting Tina and Rachel, while Elliott has Sebastian working on that new levitation illusion for the next forty-five minutes. If we hurry, we can still have dinner before we have to get back to the theater.”

Kurt smirked. “Then what are you waiting for? A command to have your wicked way with me?”

Blaine smiled mischievously. “Your wish is my command, Master.”

The pale man pushed the shorter man against the wall again, and Blaine winced. Kurt frowned. “Oh gosh honey, I’m so sorry about your shoulder. Maybe we should see if they can widen the doorway of the cage a bit more.” It hadn’t been the first time it had happened.

Blaine sighed. “I know. And you might be right. Let’s not think about that now.” He gave him a seductive grin, which Kurt couldn’t help returning, and the taller man crashed their lips together again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, meant to post this last night, but got confused on what day of the week it was!

**Chapter Two**

  
  


“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Blaine Blackwell after hours. Blaine and his minions would like to remind you to keep your hands and feet inside the theater at all times. Thank you. Now sit back, get hot, and enjoy the show!” The announcer’s words were followed by the cheers of the crowd. The eighteen and over show was about to begin.

The curtains opened to a darkened smoke filled stage. The music picked up in the back, a thrilling, yet seductive sounding beat, punctuated by the replicated sound of thunder. The audience looked on in awe, excited for what was about to happen.

Kurt spun out onto the stage, dressed in a tight leather bodysuit with a design cutout spanning the length of his chest and revealing his pale skin. He wore leather gloves on his hands. His hair was immaculately high and glittery dark eyeshadow adorned his eyes.

In his hands he held a large board above his head as he did a couple of contemporary dance moves and spins. It was as he approached center stage, the spotlight lit up on a long, low platform. Kurt danced around the back and slid the board into the backside of the platform. He continued to dance around the stage before coming to a stop at the front right and dropping to a crouching position.

From the opposite side of the stage, Elliott emerged, dressed in tight leather pants, a black fishnet shirt, and a leather jacket. His black hair was wild and he wore eyeshadow similar to Kurt’s. He also had adorned black lipstick.

His gloves were the cutoff kind and they had small chains going across the back. He also danced with a board above his head. But it was smaller than the one Kurt had danced out with.

Elliott’s moves were more reminiscent of being in a club and he swayed his hips to the side of the platform, sliding his board into place on the side. He danced his way over to the front left of the stage and came to a stop with his hands clasped in front of him and his head down.

Finally, Sebastian danced out of the dark at the back of the stage, the smoke parting with his steps. He was wearing tight leather shorts and a tight black shirt with a low neckline. He had a leather policeman style cap on his head and full black leather gloves on his hands. He also had the eyeshadow and was carrying a board, about the same size as Elliott’s above his head as he danced like a stripper.

As he slid his board into place on the other side of the platform, he rolled his hips as though making love to the board and danced to a stop front and center, standing with his legs apart, hands on his hips, and head tilted back to look up at the ceiling.

There were a few beats of the thunder infused music as the smoke swirled around the three assistants before they moved again.

Kurt spun on delicate steps to grab a hold of one end of the large curtain neatly folded on the floor in front of the platform. On the other side of the stage, Elliott danced his way over to take the other end and the two of them lifted the curtain together. Sebastian stayed where he was, continuing his stripper dance and even tossing the cap into the crowd.

Elliott and Kurt raised the curtain and draped it over the opening of the three sided box they had made. The spotlight zoomed in on the curtain. And a large shadow fell into the spotlight.

The familiar roaring sound of a motorcycle cut through the beat of the music and when Sebastian turned and pulled the center of the curtain from the box, there was Blaine, sitting pretty atop a Harley on the platform.

Blaine was wearing tight leather pants with chains down one leg and a tight leather vest. His gloved hands revved the motorcycle and his curls were wildly untamed. He had a prop cigarette in his mouth.

The audience burst into cheers as Blaine swung his leg over the bike and hopped off. His three male assistants danced up to him, Kurt coming in from one side, Elliott coming in from the other, and Sebastian, shaking himself in the front. Blaine grabbed both Kurt and Elliott by the waist and pulled them in close. Sebastian slid down to his knees in front of him and came to a stop with his hand on Blaine’s chest just as the music climaxed.

The applause was deafening. Blaine quickly segued into the next, though minor illusion. He pulled the prop cigarette from his mouth and used it to seemingly light his hand on fire. The audience gasped.

Blaine shook his hand out and the flames turned into a red handkerchief. He folded the handkerchief around his hand once and produced a red rose. He handed it to Elliott. He folded the handkerchief around his hand a second time and produced a second red rose. He handed the second one to Sebastian. Finally, he folded the handkerchief around his hand a third time and produced…

...A black rose. He handed the black rose to Kurt, who scowled at him, while Elliott took on a surprised expression and Sebastian smirked. Blaine shrugged and Kurt stormed off.

The curtain fell as the magician and his two remaining assistants dispersed. And then, the thunder was back. But this time, the sound effect was as though they were in the middle of a rainstorm.

At the side of the stage, Elliott and Kurt appeared, tugging a struggling Rachel up the stairs. Her face appeared covered with dirt and her tight black skirt and white shirt were torn and ripped.

The three of them made their way across the front of the stage, Rachel pretending to try and free herself the entire time, as the curtain opened again. It revealed a stone slab tilted table, fixed with belt buckle bindings. It was stained red, as though blood had been spilled. Flaming torches stood on either side of the stone table.

Kurt and Elliott pretended to force Rachel onto the table and she made a show of continuing to struggle. The back curtains opened to reveal a screen showing a rainforest clearing with rain pattering down on the ground.

Elliott was down at Rachel’s feet, belting the leather buckle across them while Kurt fastened the one across her shoulder blades. Her face wore a frightened expression as the two men tightened the belts, Kurt using his teeth.

Thunder clapped and Blaine entered the stage. His leather vest was replaced with a long cloak of animal hide and he wore an Aztec looking headdress on his head. Kurt and Elliott moved to bow at his feet and Blaine nodded his head. Rachel continued to struggle against her bindings on the table.

Blaine approached Rachel and waved his hand over her face and suddenly, her head lulled to the side as she fell under his spell and into a trance. Blaine turned to face the audience, threw his head back and laughed.

Elliott and Kurt sashayed forward, fixing stone walls over Rachel’s body on the table. When they were finished, they bowed again to Blaine and spun off to the sides.

Blaine picked up one of the torches and walked a circle around Rachel, slowly spinning the table with his other hand to show there was nothing around it. He passed the torch beneath the table and over to show nothing below or above. And then from the base of the stand where the torch had sat, he pulled a large flat blade.

The audience gasped as Blaine smirked and laughed again. He pounded on the blade with his free hand and moved to stand in front and slightly to one side of the table, where he began to slide it through the middle of the box. For a moment, it appeared as though it may have gotten stuck. Blaine let go and made a show of seeming to recite an ancient spell. And then, the blade slid the rest of the way through by itself. The audience gasped again.

Blaine danced around to the back of the table, producing a second blade, which he slid into place. And then a flash of lightning blinded all for the briefest of moments, and the stone altar was cleft in half. Blaine pushed the two halves apart, to the wild cries of the audience. He then moved to the upper portion of the altar, and opened the top of the box, reaching inside briefly. Rachel’s feet appeared to spasm for a moment on the other half of the altar. When Blaine withdrew his hand, it was covered in blood. There were screams and shouts of surprise from the audience. While cutting a woman in half was considered to be an old standard, Blaine knew how to give each illusion just the right twist to draw the audience in.

Blaine threw out both arms as his two assistants spun back towards him and the three of them cackled with laughter, Kurt running a hand seductively down Blaine’s chest before throwing him a menacing glare and dancing away.

Kurt and Elliott each grabbed one end of the altar and spun in a slow circle before bringing them back together as one. Again, Blaine grabbed the torch. He came center and brought the flame down on the box. A strip of fire flashed across the box to more gasps from the audience and Blaine returned the torch.

The assistants pulled the stone walls of the box away again and danced off with them, revealing Rachel to be unharmed. Blaine waved his hand over her face again and she startled awake. He undid the buckles and offered her his bloodied hand as she stepped off and spun into him to closing thunder.

…

Backstage, Kurt was guzzling a bottle of water. The stage lights were hot, and he hated how his skin got if he got the least bit dehydrated.

“So, gay face, what did you do to piss Blaine off now?” Sebastian sneered as he readied for the next illusion. “That black rose seems like an insult to me. You think it means Blaine’s finally going to fire your pasty white ass?”

Kurt ignored him. There was no way he would reveal the significance of the rose to this bastard. Quinn and Elliott would understand the meaning, but none of the others knew that today was the anniversary of his mother’s death. He’d almost thought Blaine might have forgotten himself, but the black rose was their secret message to each other. It meant ‘I’ll always be here for you.’ 

Kurt had felt tears forming in his eyes when Blaine had handed him the rose, and had to pretend to be angry as an excuse to get off the stage. Quinn had met him there, waiting with a hug and a tissue to wipe away the moisture.

“You know, it’s really rude to ignore it when a superior is talking to you,” Sebastian tutted.

Kurt nearly choked on his water. Since when did Sebastian think of himself as superior to Kurt? Kurt was the lead male assistant after all and he knew Blaine would never consider Sebastian higher than anyone. If anything, the stupid meerkat was first on Blaine’s list to go. Not because he was bad at his job, but because he didn’t understand the meaning of the phrase, sexual harassment.

The pale man turned to face Sebastian and narrowed his eyes. “The day you ever become more superior than me is the day pigs will fly,” he deadpanned.

Sebastian snarled and raised a hand, poised to hit Kurt, but he found he was unable to move it. Blaine stood behind him, eyes emotionless and hand clasped around Sebastian’s wrist in a tight grip.

“One wrong move Smythe,” the magician said darkly and for the first time in his life, Sebastian seemed afraid of Blaine. The other released his wrist and Sebastian let it drop. He took one last scathing look at Kurt and stalked off.

Kurt tore his eyes from the meerkat and looked at Blaine, glancing around the area to make sure they were alone. “Thank you,” he said softly, knowing Blaine would know all the things he was saying it for.

Blaine offered him one fleeting, knowing look, knowing they didn’t have time to be them at the moment, and turned to get ready for the next illusion.

…

By the time they reached the final trick of the night, the audience was properly riled up and there had been a brief emergency intermission when security had to get involved after a volunteer had exposed himself while onstage.

Blaine walked out in front of the curtain in his leather ensemble. “Tonight has been a whirlwind of magic, illusion, lust, and seduction, and I know I’m in need of a little cooling off. I’m sure you guys are too. So, I’ve got the perfect solution.” He grinned like a Cheshire Cat, and slid a pair of glasses onto his nose, turning as the curtain rose behind him.

The audience gazed in amazement at the scene. The stage now looked like some sort of lab, complete with a second level catwalk that circled around a large tank of water. To the side of the stage was a large chamber with what appeared to be some kind of goo moving randomly around like a lava lamp, an eerie red glow emanating from it. The lighting was low and the music was the kind that suggested something sinister was about to happen.

Blaine came creeping onto the scene, a black beanie now on his head as he made his way over to a safe, like he was a burglar. However, on his way there, he stepped in a beam, causing the alarm to blare. Red lights flashed and the sound blurted around the stage.

A door below the catwalk swung open and in marched Tina, dressed in a leather catsuit and lab coat. She also wore glasses on her face.

Her eyes darted around the lab, as though looking for the source of the alarm and she spotted the figure that had dashed behind a chair.

Tina made a beeline for Blaine who jumped up when he realized he’d been spotted and started toward her with a prop knife. They collided together in a choreography that was part dance, part fight and battled their way to a set of stairs.

Blaine was backing up the stairs as Tina advanced on him and he suddenly caught her close against his body, and she slid down, wrapping one arm around his leg. But the seductive move turned out to be a ploy, as Tina slapped a pair of ankle cuffs she’d pulled from the pocket of her lab coat around his ankles. The chain between them was long enough for Blaine to still be able to walk.

He stumbled away from the catlike woman, struggling a bit up the stairs as he continued moving backwards. He threw his hands up in surrender as she advanced on him and found her lassoing his wrists with a length of rope. She tied it tightly in a series of complicated knots, and kept pushing him forward along the catwalk.

Blaine looked at her with fear in his eyes as he stumbled backward, still trying to get away. She pulled an employee badge from her pocket next and proceeded to tear it in half before she stepped forward, ran one hand chillingly from his temple down his chest and then froze.

“This is what happens to corrupt employees,” she drawled in a seductive tone, leaning forward and almost licking the shell of Blaine’s ear. And then she brought her other hand to his chest and shoved.

The magician fell backwards, landing in the tank with a splash. Tina dropped to her knees and proceeded to close the lid, locking it with a padlock and showing the audience the key. She then ran back down the stairs as the audience viewed Blaine struggling in the tank, his wrists and ankles bound. Tina spun to the other side of the tank and pulled on a cord. A curtain fell down over the tank, concealing the struggling magician from view.

The music picked up and Tina took center stage, continuing to dance, the red lights of the alert still flashing.

And then, another alert, sounding from one of the computers in the lab bleeped. “Warning, warning, warning!”

Tina looked fearful and ran to the tank. She pulled on the curtain to reveal…

...It was empty. The traitor had escaped!

Tina spun around, a horrified expression on her face as the glow from the side chamber began to intensify. Suddenly it appeared as if there was something moving inside the goo. A human face began to press out of what was now easy to see wasn’t actually goo, but some kind of film or skin. The face retreated, and then Tina screamed as the chamber exploded outward, revealing a soaking wet Blaine, wearing nothing but a pair of black leather shorts.

Tina suddenly growled at the delicious sight in front of her, as the audience all screamed with delight at nearly getting to see Blaine naked. She pulled one more thing from her lab coat pocket and walked forward. Blaine stood there unmoving as Tina fastened a collar around his neck.

“Good boy,” she said, pulling him close to the final beat of the music. The curtain fell on the scene as the audience erupted into applause and cheers.

Some moments later, Blaine came back onto the stage, his hair still wet and dressed casually. He took a seat on the edge.

“Let’s face it, even that still has me a little hot,” he said, fanning himself to the explosion of cheers. “But you know,” he went on, pulling a book of matches from his pocket and taking one. “Whether your night ends in sleep, or something much more delicious,” and here he struck the match, “eventually, the lights go out.” He raised the lit match to hover just in front of his face. “Goodnight,” he said. He blew out the match and at the same time, every light in the theater went out.

…

**_@BBlackwell:_ ** _ Thank you, New York! It’s been Magical! On to the next city! _

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ Damn, that last trick was so hot! Blaine and Tina are perfect for each other! I wish I could fly to Dallas for the next leg of the tour! _

**_@backslashdelta:_** _I can’t wait for the Columbus_ _show! I saw Blaine live here when he was just starting out!_

**_@BlaineKurtElliott:_ ** _ My Boys were so hot tonight! Too bad that sleaze, Sebastian, had to spoil it! _

**_@Kina4eva:_ ** _ Damn it, I couldn’t go to the late show! Had to take my mom to the ER (she’s fine). What did I miss? Did Kurt and Tina have any sexy moments together? _

**_@GlaszandPorcelain:_ ** _ I miss you, mom _

**_@KingRaja:_ ** _ Purrrrrrrrrrrrrr (Translation; don’t be sad :( ) _

**_@blueandhazellove:_ ** _ {(HUGS)} _

**_@IDanceforTina:_ ** _ She smiled at me tonight! I was in the fifth row and she looked right at me and smiled! _

**_@BastiansFaction:_ ** _ @BlaineKurtElliott What do you have against Sebastian?! He’s only the best on that stage! _

**_@BlaineBlackwellsOnlyLove:_ ** _ BlaineWarbler is coming home to Columbus in one month! _

**_@Kurtisastar:_ ** _ @GlaszandPorcelain why do you let those wannabes upstage you? You and I know you are the only reason anyone shows up for these shows! _

**_@BlaineKurtElliott:_ ** _ @BastiansFaction Best at being a pervert, maybe. He’s a talentless worm with a limp (eggplant emoji) _

**_@SmellsLikeAdamLambert:_ ** _ Agree, @BlaineKurtElliott, Sebastian is such a sleaze! _

**_@CWmeerkat:_ ** _ Hi, I’m Sebastian and I have obnoxious CW hair and a pencil dick! _

**_@BlackbirdTears:_ ** _ Sounds about right, @CWmeerkat _

**_@BlaineKurtElliott:_ ** _ OMG! I just snorted coffee out of my nose! Thanks for the laugh! @BlackbirdTears, @CWmeerkat _

**_@SmellsLikeAdamLambert:_ ** _ High five, @BlackbirdTears! _

**_@CWmeerkat:_ ** _ WTF? Who hacked my account? _

**_@Starchild:_ ** _ That’s what happens when you set your password as SebastianSmytheisGodsGiftToMen… _

**_@CWmeerkat:_ ** _ Fuck you, Elliott! _


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As an apologiy for posting chapter two late, I am posting chapter three early!

**Chapter Three**

  
  


Kurt was in a bad mood the next morning. It was almost midnight by the time the second show ended, but because it was breakdown night, they didn’t get back to the hotel until after three, and then had to be up and on the buses by eight. 

Thank god Kurt didn’t have to worry about pretending on the bus. He, Blaine, Quinn, Elliott, and Raja had a bus to themselves, and a bus driver sworn to secrecy about what went on in the rolling confines. David was an awesome driver, who pretended to be deaf, dumb, and blind whenever the paparazzi harassed him about the celebrities he chauffeured. 

Sensing Kurt’s mood, Blaine had asked their manager to arrange a quick detour through a Starbucks before heading out of town. Wes had done them one better, and met them at the bus with several trays of to-go coffee cups. Once Kurt had Raja settled on the bus with his favorite blanket, a dish of chopped meat and vegetables, and a scratch behind the ears, Blaine offered him the grande nonfat mocha.

“Thanks,” Kurt said, taking the offering. He was still a bit sad, thinking about his mom. Having Raja there with him helped. Kurt’s mom, Elizabeth, had been a veterinarian who volunteered with an organization called  _ Free Wild, _ who helped animal control officers and Humane Society workers across the country rescue exotic animals from breeders and roadside attractions where they were abused and mistreated.

Raja had been just a few weeks old when he’d been rescued from a breeder. He’d been weak and sickly, having been forcefully weaned from his mother way too soon, and kept in poor conditions. He’d been filthy, and missing most of his fur. Elizabeth had brought him home with her, because he needed twenty-four hour care. Kurt helped her with the tiny cub, feeding and bathing him in special soothing baths that helped his hair to grow back over time.

Kurt had been fourteen. That had been ten years ago. Raja had been the last exotic animal Elizabeth had helped to rescue. Two months after she’d brought Raja home, something went wrong on another rescue attempt. Despite having several animal control officers, police officers, and humane society workers on site, the owner of a roadside attraction had been furious that they were trying to take his animals. He had pulled out a sawed off shotgun, and began firing at them. Elizabeth had been struck twice, and had bled out before police got the situation under control.

Kurt had raised Raja mostly alone after that, although it had been hard. Burt had helped, of course, turning their backyard into a large paddock for the growing tiger, and adding taller fencing so the animal couldn’t climb a tree and escape into the neighborhood. As Raja had gotten older and larger, they had moved him to a sanctuary for a while, but the tiger had become depressed, and the family that ran the sanctuary had decided that the animal had missed Kurt. It had taken some work to find a way for the two to remain together, and for Kurt not to have to keep Raja in a cage somewhere. That would have been cruel, and an insult to his mother’s memory, after everything she had done to rescue him and other animals from life in a cage.

Things had taken a turn for the better when Kurt had met up and coming magician, Blaine Anderson, AKA, Blaine Blackwell, who was looking for a new twist for his act, and came from an affluent family, who could afford to pay for the care of the exotic animal. When Raja wasn’t performing with Kurt and Blaine on stage, he had free range of Kurt’s dressing room, and when they weren’t on tour, the Andersons had built a rather impressive and spacious enclosure for him on one of their properties. Now the only time Raja was caged was when he was transported to and from Kurt’s dressing room for the performance, and when they had to fly. On those occasions when they couldn’t travel by bus, the large cat was generally sedated to keep the stress levels to a minimum. And they had a vet on staff twenty-four/seven.

“How are you feeling?” Blaine asked, resting his chin on Kurt’s shoulder.

Kurt shrugged. “You know me, I’ll be fine.”

Blaine kissed his ear. “That wasn’t what I asked.”

The pale man sighed. “I’m fine. You know this time of year is always a little hard for me. Being here with you helps a lot.”

Blaine hugged him one handed, kissing his chin this time. “I’m glad I can help.”

“Hey, you two!” Elliott called out. “No making out on the bus! At least not without me!”

“Shut up, Elliott!” Kurt called out.

The taller man laughed as he entered the back area, scratching Raja on the head as he passed. Blaine frowned at the tiger. “Why does he like you more than me?”

Elliott smirked. “I’m just more likeable, I guess. David said to tell you we pull out in five minutes, so you should take your seats. Or maybe get in bed if that’s what you prefer. Just keep the noise down.”

“Don’t mind Elliott,” Kurt said, “he’s never had a filter for his mouth. And the reason Raja likes him better is because he’s known him longer, and Elliott sneaks him treats when he thinks no one is looking.”

Blaine sighed, shaking his head. “I give him treats, too. And we’ve known each other for almost three years now. You’d think he’d warm up to me by now.”

Elliott laughed. “You’ve known him three years. I’ve known him since he was a cub.” 

That was true. Elliott was the nephew of the rescue coordinator for  _ Free Wild _ ’s Midwest region. He was four years older than Kurt, and had helped out occasionally with Raja’s care after Elizabeth had died.

Blaine noticed Kurt trying to stifle a yawn, and made an executive decision. “Okay, let’s get settled so we can get on the road. Kurt, you need sleep. Let’s get comfortable.”

Kurt grumbled something about bossy magicians, but allowed the younger man to escort him to the sleeping berths. Blaine just kissed him with a smirk. “You’re adorable when you’re cranky. Come on, lay down.” He waited for Kurt to get settled, then slid in beside him, spooning around him.

...

“Honestly, I don’t know why they don’t at least tell Tina the truth. I understand not telling Rachel or Sebastian, but not Tina,” Quinn said, coming to join Elliott in the lounging area of the bus. She handed him one of the coffee cups Wes had so generously gotten for them all.

Elliott furrowed his brow. “It might have something to do with the early days,” he said, taking the coffee from her with a nod of thanks. “You and I could both see how attracted Kurt and Blaine were to each other and cutting the tension with a knife was an understatement. They used to bicker a lot back then, maybe because they didn’t know how to admit their feelings at the time.”

Quinn nodded. “Right, I remember. Tina thought they actually didn’t get on well.”

The man laughed and looked at her. “Tina’s never been the best of identifying working relationships. Look at how many guys she’s fallen for since we’ve known her and most turned out to be gay.”

“Which explains why she thinks Blaine is straight,” Quinn stated, laughing a little.

“Well that and she knows about when you and Blaine tried dating. Don’t forget the drunken incident.”

Quinn nearly spat out her coffee. “That dear cousin, is meant to remain in the vault,” she said shortly. Elliott could only laugh.

“Hey, if your sister Franny can’t tease you, then it’s up to your favorite older cousin to do it,” he replied.

The blonde woman shook her head. She might have said he was her only cousin, but that wasn’t really true. Quinn had lots of cousins. However, she couldn’t deny that Elliott was definitely her favorite.

“Franny wouldn’t know how to tease someone if the word bit her on the ass,” Quinn quipped and Elliott burst into laughter.

If anyone was more religious than Quinn’s father had claimed to be, it was her older sister. And Elliott wasn’t even sure Franny knew about her father’s betrayal. Her and her Christian husband and holier than thou lifestyle so to speak. Essentially, Quinn’s queen bee popularity in high school had been a savior for her, even if it gave her a rough road. But it taught her that life was much more entertaining when you took the twisted path instead of walking the straight and narrow.

“Touche,” Elliott replied, sipping from his coffee. “But I guess the reason why they don’t tell Tina is because Blaine knows she likes him and it helps with their onstage chemistry.”

Quinn sipped her own coffee and settled a little lower in the bench seat, shrugging. “They do have good chemistry on the surface, but it’s nothing like it is between Blaine and Kurt. I can’t believe no one else sees it.”

“People only tend to see what they want to see,” Elliott responded with a shrug of his own.

“So you think people don’t want to see what’s between them because it’s two guys?” She set the cup of coffee in a holder in the table beside her.

Elliott was quiet for a moment, contemplating his words. “No, I think they don’t want to see it because they had already developed the idea of Blina before we joined. Don’t forget, Tina has pretty much been Blaine’s assistant since day one. You knew that. But we also both know that Blaine has never been shy about his sexuality. However, he does firmly believe in his popularity not being defined by a label.” He was quiet for a beat. “Which is probably why he’s never corrected the fans.”

Quinn nodded her head, getting more comfortable. It would be a twenty four hour bus ride, with only a couple of stops to stretch their legs. “What are we going to do about Sebastian?” she asked. “He’s getting more and more insistent in his intentions towards Blaine.”

“Don’t worry about CW meerkat,” Elliott said. “It’s very clear that Blaine is not interested in him. And I highly doubt he would be even if he was single. I know for a fact that Blaine was hesitant to hire him and made him get tested for everything under the sun as a requirement.”

Quinn let out an unlady like snort. “Were you the one to hack his account?”

Elliott shook his head. “As much as I would love to take credit for that genius work, I’m not that savvy with technology.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Though I think a member of the stage crew is. I can’t recall his name at the moment.”

Quinn thought about it for a moment. “The nerdy guy in the wheelchair? Artie?”

“That’s him! I was never super great with names of people I don’t talk to a lot,” Elliott chuckled.

“Artie is kind of sweet,” Quinn replied. “He was really supportive after I got injured rehearsing that Levitating Butterfly trick.”

“Mm,” Elliott mumbled gently. “He is sweet. But I think he has his eyes on Blaine’s friend Trent.”

“Trent? Are you sure? I thought he was sweet on Tina?”

“He is,” Elliott supplied nonchalantly. “I’m pretty sure Artie swings both ways. Don’t forget, I have model gaydar, unlike Tina.”

Quinn burst into laughter. “Yeah, such great gaydar, you didn’t even realize Blaine was gay until you introduced him to Kurt!”

“In my defense, I was very confused. Blaine plays the straight card very well, and at the time, I didn’t think he could be anything more than bisexual! Besides, I’d just gotten out of that really nasty break up. I think I must have switched my gaydar off because I didn’t want a potential rebound while I was still hurting.”

…

Beatz turned the volume up a little on his radio, trying to block out the conversation going on behind him. Conversation was a misnomer. While no one was actually fighting, the insults flowed freely.

Rachel crossed her arms, standing at the front of the bus and staring at the back end of the one they were following. “I don’t get it,” she said. “If Blaine and Kurt hate each other so much, why does he insist on him staying on his bus?”

“Probably so he can make sure the pasty faced ghost boy doesn’t try anything stupid,” Sebastian said. “Though I doubt he’s smart enough to do something stupid anyway.”

“That makes no sense,” Tina replied from her spot at the little kitchen table.

Sebastian gave her one of his patented smirks. “That’s because you’re as dumb as he is.”

Tina wrinkled her nose and stared him down. “I never would call Blaine dumb, but if he’s made any stupid decisions, it was hiring  _ you _ .” She knew he hadn’t been referring to Blaine, but still.

Rachel ignored the other two, continuing her train of thought. “I mean, I get the need for Kurt to be with that beast, to keep it from attacking anyone, but why not put both of them on a separate bus?”

Tina turned her attention from Sebastian back to Rachel and shook her head. “I’m with you. Give that meanie Kurt and his pet their own bus so they can’t bother Blaine or the rest of us. I still don’t understand why Blaine doesn’t fire him already! He’s such a jerk!”

“Are you both really this stupid?” Sebastian asked. “Blaine has a crush on Kurt!”

“You’re delusional,” said another voice, and all three turned to see Adam coming in from somewhere in the back of the bus. “Blaine’s straight. Even the fans can see that. Besides, he’s not good enough for Kurt anyway.”

Sebastian snorted again. “Blaine’s about as straight as a roller coaster track.”

Adam laughed. “You only think that because you want to get into his pants.”

“And we all know Blaine wouldn’t touch your pencil dick with a ten foot pole!” This time, Beatz added his two cents. He knew Blaine better than all of them after all.

Sebastian glared at the driver. “No one gave you permission to speak. Your job is to drive the bus and mind your own business.”

Suddenly, Beatz slammed on the brakes, and Rachel and Adam both had to grab a hold of something to remain standing upright. The driver fixed Sebastian with a steely glare through the rearview mirror.

“Blaine is one of my best friends. We went to school together. I may be driving this bus, but I’m privy to many more privileges than you are, you stuck up little worm.”

Tina was glaring at Sebastian as well. “I know you’ve only been with the crew a few weeks, but we do not disrespect any member of the crew, whether they are driving the bus or providing security for us. If Blaine heard you speaking like that, he’d fire you on the spot.”

“Which is my entire point,” Rachel cut in. “Why doesn’t he fire Kurt for his rudeness?”

Beatz glanced at her. “Kurt isn’t rude to any of the crew members. He’s nothing but nice to everyone. Well except you four. Anyone else, he’d give them the shirt off his back if they needed it.”

When no one seemed to have a reply for him right then, Beatz went on, carefully pulling back into moving traffic. “Besides, if Blaine fires Kurt, then Elliott will likely quit because Kurt is his best friend and he will always side with him first. In the long run, if Elliott quits because Kurt was fired, it will make things awkward for Quinn. While she is Blaine’s best friend, she’s also Elliott’s cousin.”

“I forgot about that,” Tina said with a frown. “Honestly, I don’t know why Blaine decided he needed to hire more assistants. We were doing good on our own back in Columbus, and we’d already been approached to compete in the first season of The Illusionist. We would still have won without the rest of you.”

Beatz glanced at Tina through the rearview mirror with a frown on his face. “Wes suggested it,” he replied. “All big name magicians have multiple assistants.”

The Asian woman frowned again. “Not all of them. David Copperfield never really had more than one or two, and they usually changed regularly.”

“Tina,” Beatz warned. “Do I need to tell Blaine you’re subconscious is being selfish again? You are still the female assistant used in more illusions than any of the others.”

“Yeah,” Rachel chimed in. “I’m only used for the sacrifice and the shadow box. And Quinn is only featured in the ice princess one.”

Beatz rolled his eyes without turning to look at them. “Quinn is still recovering from a broken hip.”

“Honestly,” Adam suddenly cut in, “I think all three of you are selfish.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sebastian demanded.

Adam looked at Sebastian and rolled his eyes. “You want Blaine all to yourself despite everyone knowing he will never give you the time of day. Getting in his pants is all you care about.” He turned his eyes on Tina. “You keep going on and on with trying to convince Blaine he never needed more assistants, and that you were perfectly fine just the two of you, despite how the others have helped increase the fanbase.” Finally, he shifted his gaze to Rachel. “And all you care about is the fact that you’re not the center of everybody’s world.”

Beatz had to agree with the lead stage hand’s assessment, but really wished he didn’t have to listen to them bickering anymore. It was giving him a headache. Personally, he’d rather be the one who had to tranq Raja when they flew than drive this bus some days.

Sebastian sneered and stood from his spot, glaring daggers at the British man. “Well you’re no saint either, Mr. BBC!” he spat out. Before Adam had a chance to say anything, he went on. “Everyone knows that you want Kurt for yourself, and he doesn’t even like you as a person.”

Adam simply shrugged. “At least I’m not sniffing around someone who doesn’t even play for the same team.”

While the four of them continued to bicker, Beatz put in a call to Wes. “Dude, I really need a change for a bit. Do you think at least for the next drive, I could switch with one of the other drivers? These four are giving me a headache and driving me bonkers.”

He heard Wes sigh on the other end of the line. “I guess I can bring in Sam when we stop for lunch in Maryland. None of the others can stand that group.”

Beatz let out a sigh of relief. “Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone with a tolerance level as high as that man’s,” he replied. “But thank you. I really appreciate it Wes.”

…

**_@coffeegleek:_ ** _ OMG! You guys will never believe who just stopped into our little diner for lunch! @BBlackwell, @LucyQFabray, @Starchild, and @GlaszandPorcelain! And they had @KingRaja with them! Kurt was walking him on a leash like a dog! _

**_@Taplove2015:_ ** _ No way! Pics or it’s a lie! _

**_@coffeegleek:_ ** _ I was at work! I couldn’t snap a pic! _

**_@BlackbirdTears:_ ** _ I believe you… _

**_@klainedreams34:_ ** _ It’s true! I saw the buses pull in on my way to my Dr.’s appt! _

**_@KingRaja:_** _Meow, mreow, mreow!_ _(Translation: I was there. I recommend the fish sandwich!)_

**_@BBlackwell:_ ** _ Awesome blackberry peach cobbler! It was so good, it simply vanished before my eyes! _

**_@blaineys-boogie-shoes:_ ** _ OMG! I love the blackberry peach cobbler there! My favorite magician and I actually have something in common! _

**_@Taplove2015:_ ** _ SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! I missed them? NO! NONONO! _

**_@GlaszandPorcelain:_ ** _ {picture} _

**_@coffeegleek:_ ** _ OH MY GOD! Kurt Hummel just posted a picture of me petting @KingRaja! Thank you so much, @GlaszandPorcelain! _

**_@grlnxtdr29:_ ** _ Holy Moly! I just saw @BBlackwell’s buses pulling onto the freeway heading out of Maryland into Virginia! _

**_@RajasRagina:_ ** _ I missed my kitty cat? {sad emoji} Lord Tubbington says hi! _

**_@KingRaja:_ ** _ MEOW! (Translation: Hey Lord T! How is my Biggest fan?) _

**_@Kina4eva:_ ** _ Where was Tina? Why wasn’t Kurt with her? _

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ You mean why wasn’t she with Blaine? I hope everything is okay. _

**_@coffeegleek:_ ** _ @AsianMagic was here too. She came in on the second bus with @RachelBerryGoldStar and that creepy Sebastian guy. _

**_@Kina4eva:_ ** _ Why wasn’t she on the same bus with Kurt? I hope they haven’t broken up! _

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ Oh please tell me Blaine and Tina haven’t broken up! _

**_@blueandhazellove:_ ** _ Tina always rides on the bus with Rachel and Sleazebastian. Kurt, Elliott Raja and Quinn always ride on the same bus as Blaine. Blaine says it’s because Tina is allergic to animals, and Kurt is responsible for Raja. _

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ So why don’t Raja and Kurt travel on the other bus and let Tina be with Blaine? _

**_@BlackbirdTears:_ ** _ I heard from one of the crewmembers that Rachel, Tina, and Sebastian don’t get along well with Kurt. Kurt is Elliott’s best friend, Elliott is Quinn’s cousin, and Quinn is Blaine’s best friend, which is why the four of them travel together, despite the rumors that Kurt and Blaine hate each other. _

…

“Have you been following this?” Kurt asked Blaine as he lounged on their bed, scrolling through Twitter on his phone.

Blaine wrapped an arm loosely around his waist and popped his head up over Kurt’s shoulder. He was shaking his head as he read through some of the comments. “Those shippers are going to cause a riot!”

Kurt snorted. “Think it will be bigger than the presidential election?” he teased.

It was Blaine’s turn to snort. “Please, no riot is ever bigger than a presidential election.”

“Mm,” Kurt responded, setting down his phone and turning to wrap his arms around the shorter man’s neck. “How about every game the Oakland Raiders ever play?” he asked. Blaine gave him a shocked look. “What?” Kurt said, tone nonchalant.

“You hate football,” was Blaine’s reply.

The pale man shrugged. “You don’t have to be a football fan to know how crazy Raiders fans are.”

“Also, they’re the Las Vegas Raiders now,” Blaine corrected him.

Kurt shrugged again. “Well, I do hate football.” He glanced out the window at the passing landscape. “Where are we, anyway?”

Blaine glanced at his watch. “It’s almost seven PM, so we should be approaching Nashville. We’ll be stopping for dinner soon.”

Kurt looked thoughtful for a moment. “I think you should have dinner with Tina tonight.”

The magician gave him a confused look. “What? Why?” he asked.

Kurt glanced back at his phone without actually picking it back up. “You need to keep up appearances for your fans. They want to see you and Tina together.”

Blaine made a noncommittal noise. “And what about the Kina shippers?” he asked.

Kurt snorted. “You know there are way more Blina shippers. I think I can count on one hand the number of fans that ship Tina and me, and still have four fingers left over.”

Instead of responding, Blaine dove in for a deep kiss from the other man. “Well,” he said as he pulled away. “They’re all wrong. Because the only person I have romantic feelings for is right here in my bed with me.”

Kurt smiled and returned the kiss, and would have taken it further, if someone hadn’t rapped on the wall outside the sleeping area.

“Dinner break,” Quinn called out. “Sorry if I interrupted anything.”

Blaine groaned as Kurt let out a giggle. The one thing the magician hated while being on the road, is how timing always seemed to be terrible. He shook his head and called back, “We’ll be right there!”

Kurt kissed him once more, then sat up, stretching his arms a bit. “Let’s compromise on dinner, and all sit together if there is room. Well, everyone but Sebastian and Adam. Those two can share a table by themselves.”

“I’ll compromise on your compromise,” Blaine said. “I’ll sit next to Tina, if you and I can have dessert in private later.”

Kurt smirked. “I think we can arrange that.”

Blaine kissed the pale man one more time before sliding out of the bed and looking back at him. “I love you,” he said.

Kurt stood up and whispered in his ear. “I’ll love you forever.”

The magician suppressed a shudder because damn what that man could do to him. And then he followed Kurt out of the sleeping area.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

  
  


“Welcome back to WDLS Channel 4 News, I’m Kelly Cortez, and I’m here with a man who needs no introduction, magician extraordinaire, Blaine Blackwell, and his assistant, Tina Cohen-Chang. Blaine, Tina, welcome.”

Blaine gave the woman and the camera his most charming smile. “Thank you, Kelly, it’s great to be here in Dallas! I’m loving this warm weather here!”

Tina nodded. “I love Texas. I’m so glad we got to come here on this tour.”

Kelly smiled and glanced down at her notes. “This is your first visit to Texas since your very first tour three years ago. What can we expect from your show now as a contrast from back then?”

“Well, Kelly, we have a lot more extravagant production pieces, a larger team, and means to support illusions on a larger stage. Granted, this version of the show is not as extravagant as my home stage show in Las Vegas, but it’s as big as we can make it. We’ve also got an adults only show we perform late Friday and Saturday nights.”

“Yes, sadly you’ll be in Houston for those two shows this week. I tried to get tickets, but they’re all sold out. How does it make you feel knowing how many people want to see your shows, especially the adults only ones?”

“It’s truly amazing. Every up and coming magician in this day and age has a purpose, and that purpose is to put magic back on the map,” Blaine said, glancing briefly to Tina. “I’ve had the privilege of having conversations with some of my idols, like David Copperfield and Criss Angel and it’s always about the fresh minds finding new ways to reinvent the classics of magic. You can only captivate an audience with the same illusion for so long. So seeing so many people eager to see my take on classics and never before seen tricks is indescribable, really.”

Kelly smiled again. “You’ve certainly got the knack for finding new illusions, but not every illusion works out the way you would like, such as the one you were practicing last year before you began your tour then. Can you tell us what went wrong? One of your assistants was injured rehearsing, weren’t they?”

Blaine let out a sigh. “I’m pretty sure the biggest issue with that incident was the equipment we were using. There was a mishap in one of the common elements so to say. My manager has been in talks with a lawyer about suing the company for damages.”

Kelly checked her notes once more. “The assistant in question, Quinn Fabray, broke her hip, didn’t she?”

“She did. She’s doing better, but we are taking her recovery day by day. We hope to fully integrate her back into the show soon, but until I am certain that she is recovered enough, she’s only in one illusion and it’s one where she doesn’t really have to move at all.”

“I’ve seen video of the ice illusion, and I want to ask the question a lot of people want to ask; how did you get Disney to let you use that song in your show?”

It was Tina who piped up, feeling restless that she hadn’t gotten to say a thing since the introduction. “Little known fact. Before Blaine hit it big, he actually had a gig performing walk around magic at Disneyland. So he already had a good relationship with them. It wasn’t too hard to ask for the rights to the song.”

Blaine blushed. “It’s true, I worked the theme park circuit, performing magic and singing.”

“I’ve heard you say before that if you weren’t a magician, you’d be a pop star. Ambitious much?” the reporter teased.

The curly haired man chuckled. “My dad always wanted me to become a lawyer or a doctor or something else like that. He was never that supportive of a career in the arts. But I knew that I loved performing and felt in my heart that my place would be on stage someday, some way. My mother always encouraged me to follow my dreams.”

“And what does your dad think now?”

He was quiet for a beat. “Well, I should rephrase that. When I was younger, my dad always wanted that for me. I think he was scared that I would end up in a place where I was always struggling. These days though, you would never guess that he ever had any reservations. He’s the reason Raja has a home off the road.”

“Raja is the beautiful Bengal Tiger that is a part of your act. Some people have protested your use of the animal in your show, but the Humane Society of America has responded to those people that Raja is possibly the most well cared for tiger in show business. Can you tell us some of the ways you assure his safety?”

Blaine couldn’t help but to smile. “Raja is Kurt’s baby. He has been ever since Kurt’s mom rescued him from the deplorable conditions he was being kept in. She used to work for an organization that rescued wild animals from cruel conditions. I’m pretty sure if he was faced with the situation, Kurt would take a bullet for that tiger. He’s been nothing but well loved and cared for and is a real treat to work with and have along for the ride. We don’t lock him up for travel but let him roam free and I think giving him his freedom like any house cat has made a huge difference in promoting his gentle demeanor, which is quite unusual for an animal considered a predator.”

As Blaine spoke, Tina began to frown a little, but forced a smile to her face as the reporter turned her attention to her. “Tina, you’ve been Blaine’s assistant for how long?”

Tina laughed. “Since day one, basically. We were fourteen at the time, I think? Blaine had posted an ad in the newspaper asking for an assistant for a one time only magic gig. That one gig turned into four more, and we haven’t looked back since.”

Kelly laughed a little as well. “You’ve been together for basically ten years. That’s a long time to work so intimately with someone. Are the rumors about you two real?”

Blaine opened his mouth to reply but Tina beat him to it, slipping her arm through his and putting on a grin that Blaine knew her well enough to know was devious in nature. “Oh absolutely,” she said, causing Blaine to feel the color drain out of his face. “In fact, the two of us have been discussing marriage. I don’t think the rest of the assistants will be around much longer. I’m really all he needs.”

…

“What the actual fuck?” Blaine shouted once they were on one of the buses and the doors closed. “How could you say that on camera?”

“How dare you tell the world Blaine would be firing me?” Rachel demanded.

“Do you have  _ any  _ regard for where Blaine actually stands at  _ all _ ?!” Quinn bit, glaring at Tina. She had always considered her a great assistant for Blaine because they worked well together and believably too. But for Tina to stoop so low as to tell the world they were considering marriage and firing everyone else was completely uncalled for.

“You selfish bitch!” Rachel pitched in again, poised to slap Tina.

“Put your hand down, Rachel,” Kurt said, glaring daggers at the Asian woman. “If anyone is going to scratch her eyes out, it’s going to be me!”

“What the hell do you care?” Rachel snapped at Kurt.

Blaine stepped in before anyone else could speak. “Answer my question, Tina! Why the hell would you say that, when you know it’s not true?”

Tina narrowed her eyes. “Come on Blaine! We’ve been together ten years now! Stop beating around the bush about our relationship!”

“What relationship? We’ve never had anything but a working relationship! What have I ever done to give you the impression of anything else? We’re friends, I like working with you, but we’ve never dated, never slept with each other. So tell me, what the fuck makes you think we’re anything other than working partners?”

Tina went unusually quiet. She stared at him for a long moment. “No one is that good an actor, to display that great of a chemistry,” she said quietly. “You had to have feelings for me. And the fans all support it.”

Elliott snorted and Tina turned her head sharply in his direction. “Have you never been a fangirl of anything?” he asked. “Fans always over exaggerate any little notion that their OTP might actually be a thing. They support you because they think it’s real, but Blaine has never had that misconception. So why did you?” 

It was Blaine who noticed the vulnerability in the young woman’s eyes. “You’re afraid, aren’t you? Afraid that I’m the only one who could possibly want you in that way?”

Tina crumpled in on herself, and began sobbing.

Blaine shut his eyes and let out a deep breath. “I think it would be in everyone’s best interest right now, if you sit out the next few shows, maybe more. Rachel will take over your illusions for the time being.”

Wes, who had been standing back for now, nodded in agreement. “I’ll put out a press release stating that you are taking a break for a while due to stress. Although I think she should still go through with tonight’s show, but only because it’s too late to make the changes to the programs, and the riggings. No offense, Rachel, but you are a little shorter than Tina, and it will take time to refit all the equipment to accommodate your stature.”

Blaine was looking at the floor with an unreadable expression. He raised his head to look around at everyone. “Then tonight, because everyone is in a bad place, angry, wound up, on edge, if we don’t want tomorrow’s newspaper to lead with a headline declaring us a complete disaster, we better put on the best damn performance of our lives.”

…

“Five minutes, Blaine.” The voice of the stage manager was like nails in Blaine’s skull. His head was pounding, and he was so wound up, he didn’t know how he was going to make it through the show. He had hoped he would be able to have some alone time with Kurt, but they couldn’t risk it tonight. He couldn’t even ask his boyfriend how he was feeling about what had happened earlier.

There was a knock on the door and Quinn entered without being prompted. She shut the door quietly behind her and stood there, not saying a word.

“I feel like a steamroller has run over my head,” Blaine said, not looking away from the mirror on his vanity.

Quinn offered a small smirk. “Didn’t Criss Angel do an illusion where he had a steamroller run over him?”

“Not over his head,” Blaine deadpanned, but he appreciated the fact that Quinn wasn’t trying to tell him to suck it up. He finally turned to look at her. “How are we ever going to make it through tonight?” he asked. “I’m so angry at her.”

“I know you are. We all are. She had no right to do that.”

Blaine was silent for a moment. “Kurt and I discussed me keeping up appearances for the fans, but I never thought Tina was blind enough to think any of it was real.”

Quinn put a hand on his shoulder. “Maybe you should consider coming out,” she said, but he knew she was only suggesting it and wasn’t telling him he should definitely do it. “We’ll get through tonight. We just have to take it one illusion at a time.”

“Thanks Quinn,” Blaine said, placing a hand over hers.

“For what?” she asked, though she had a knowing smile on her face.

“For not telling me to just suck it up and get over it.”

“What are true best friends for?” she asked with a small smile.

“Well,” Blaine said after a beat. “I guess it’s showtime.”

…

Kurt could hear the anticipation of the audience as the announcer made the welcome message. He waited just offstage for the lights to dim.

“Whoa,” said a voice behind him and Kurt turned to see Sam standing there with one of the last few set pieces needed onstage. He was giving the pale man a wide eyed look. “That can’t be good for the sack puppies.”

Kurt stuck his nose in the air. “Years of wearing skinny jeans have prepared me for this performance,” he said. He was dressed as Peter Pan for the opening of the show and had even put a few leaves in his hair. Kurt was by no means in a happy mood, but he was doing everything he could to make this work for Blaine’s sake.

Cheery music filled the air as the audience applauded. Sam was just able to lay out the final set piece before the curtains opened.

Kurt danced onto the stage, full of contemporary moves, all delicate and graceful limbs. He danced over to where a few boards lay scattered on the ground, which was dressed up to look like a clearing in the wood. He pretended to look shocked by the scattered boards and danced his way into the audience.

The pale man spun down the first few rows and collected three children to follow him, leading them back onto the stage. He positioned each one of the children behind one of the boards and danced around a bit more, over to where a roof looking piece lay. Kurt gestured for each of them to lift the board, which was really just lightweight plywood so they would be able to lift it easily.

The children giggled and did as they were instructed, raising the plywood boards to notice the down sides were all painted like a little house. Kurt danced over with the roof and gestured for all three children to push their boards in as he slid the roof on top.

When the roof and the three walls were secure, Kurt drew each child back away and stood them in a line across the stage, making a motion for them to stay. He picked up a blanket, which looked like it had been woven from leaves, and moved to stand in the doorway of the little house.

He motioned for the children to keep their eyes on him and then he lifted the blanket up, and down again, giving the children a funny face, which they laughed at. He repeated the action two more times, revealing a new funny face each time. The fourth time, however, the blanket went up and held for a few seconds, and when it was pulled down again, Kurt was gone and Blaine was standing in his place.

…

Kurt started to massage his cheeks as he ran backstage. Smiling so much was a lot harder when you were forcing it. He started for his dressing room so he could change for his next illusion, when he happened to glance in the direction of the riggings. He really wasn’t paying much attention to anything, still distracted by the events of earlier, so really didn’t think too much about it when he saw someone’s gloved hand doing something he couldn’t really see to one of the ropes.

He could hear the audience reacting to Blaine’s closeup routine that he opened with right after Kurt’s appearance. He continued on to his dressing room, giving Raja a distracted pat on the head.

…

Rachel didn’t know what she should feel at the moment. On the one hand, she was furious about Tina announcing to the world during a live interview that Blaine was going to fire her, but on the other hand she was excited to know that starting tomorrow night,  _ she  _ would be the featured assistant in most of the show. Maybe Blaine would be so impressed with her performance, and make her lead assistant for the rest of the tour!

She was stretching backstage, getting ready for her cue on the shadow box illusion. She glared at Tina as the younger woman exited the stage after the previous illusion finished.

Tina promptly ignored her. In fact, she was making no acknowledgement of any of them unless she was directly required to, like during an actual illusion.

“Oh, now you’re too good for us, is that it?” Rachel quipped, pulling the ponytail in her hair a little tighter.

Tina barely glanced at her before beginning to prep for her next act. “Says the bitch who thinks the world should revolve around her.”

Rachel crossed her arms and glared at her. “At least I have the common sense not to think something is real when it’s obviously not. I think all the fans have gone to your head.”

“At least I have real fans, not fake twitter accounts to prop up your ego!”

“Do you really think they’re all going to back you when this gets out? Given the circumstances, I think they’re going to figure out what you told that reporter was a lie,” Rachel said.

Before Tina could respond, Rachel’s cue came for the next act.

…

So far, everything seemed to be going according to plan, despite the fact that Kurt could not deny the tensions between several of them. At the same time, the crew seemed to have no idea what exactly was going on, and he was glad for that because they really didn’t need to be all up in the performers’ personal business anyway.

Adam still seemed to take it upon himself to always be up in Kurt’s personal business, though, and Kurt had reached the point where he had to bite his tongue because getting angry at Adam only seemed to make the British man aroused, claiming he loved it when Kurt got feisty. So the pale man had mastered the art of being completely blank when conversing with the other man.

Now though, he was out on the stage with Blaine, who was standing in a small box set on a table. Above the box hoisted into the air was a set of spikes. The premise of the illusion was that Kurt would chain Blaine up and lock him in the box and Blaine was meant to escape before the spikes fell through.

The pale man, limber as a cat, leaped onto the table and pushed a pretending to struggle Blaine down into the box. The magician’s hands appeared out the top, handcuffed together and Kurt reached and tugged the chain on them for good measure before he placed the top onto the box. Blaine waved his hands for about thirty seconds before they disappeared into the box.

Kurt leapt back off the table and was on his way dancing to a curtain folded on the floor when something caught his eye. The spikes above Blaine’s head were trembling, more so than he’d ever seen them do. The rope catch was on a timer, set to drop the spikes at a precise moment, which was what Blaine had rehearsed to get himself out in time. They were meant to drop just seconds after he succeeded.

However, something tonight was off and Kurt found himself flashing back to what he’d seen earlier. A sickening feeling was starting to develop in his stomach as realization hit him. Someone must have tampered with the rope.

“Blaine!” Kurt shouted. Abandoning the curtain, he ran forward and managed to shove the entire table out of the way just as the rope snapped and the spikes fell. The audience gasped. It was followed by Kurt crying out.

The spikes had embedded themselves in the stage floor, but as Kurt had pushed the table out of the way, he’d fallen, and one of the spikes had impaled itself right through his hand. The spike was now pinning him to the stage. Tears were leaking from his eyes as several of the stagehands ran out from the wings. The audience had fallen into complete silence.

“Close the curtains!” Artie shouted into his headset, even as the medic on standby raced onto the stage.

…

**_@WMontgomeryMngmt:_ ** _ We apologize to the Dallas Audience. The remainder of tonight’s show has been canceled. Please hold on to your ticket stubs for refunds or replacement tickets. _

**_@BBlackwell:_ ** _ An update: @GlaszandPorcelain has been taken to a local hospital for treatment. He is in good spirits and in stable condition. We will not be releasing the name of which hospital at this time due to security issues. Thank you for your cooperation. _

**_@kurthummeldeservesbetter:_ ** _ WHAT HAPPENED TO MY KURT? _

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ What is going on? Did something happen at the Dallas show? I was too busy doing the Happy Dance about Tina announcing her engagement to Blaine! _

**_@BlackwellsNumber1Fan:_ ** _ I’ll be there if you need me! _

**_@MomStepmomNurseCaregiver:_ ** _ We’ll be there first thing in the morning! _

**_@Kina4eva:_ ** _ For the love of god, what is going on in Dallas? Wait, what do you mean Tina and Blaine are engaged? _

**_@holdontoglee:_ ** _ That was the scariest thing I ever saw! I’m glad Kurt is going to be okay! {prayer emoji} @GlaszandPorcelain _

**_@LucyQFabray:_ ** _ @GlaszandPorcelain was injured during one of tonight’s illusions. After examining the equipment involved in said illusion, we have contacted local law enforcement to investigate further. Stay tuned for updates from @WMontgomeryMngmt _

**_@Starchild:_ ** _ I’m very upset right now. My best friend is in the hospital. I know he’s not a religious person, but I’d appreciate it if you all sent him healing energies and prayers _

**_@Kina4eva:_ ** _ Oh my god! They just showed the footage on the news! Poor Kurt! _

**_@Kurtisastar:_ ** _ I swear, if there is foul play involved in this, then it’s because @BBlackwell was jealous of Kurt’s Talent! _

**_@coffeeorderwrites:_ ** _ I work at the coffee shop near the theater where @BBlackwell was performing, and I overheard a couple cops say they think someone tampered with rigging or something. Someone deliberately tried to hurt Blaine! _

**_@BastiansFaction:_ ** _ Damn, it missed… _

**_@WeareTHENiff:_ ** _ Bro, do you need us? _

**_@grlnxtdr29:_ ** _ Oh gosh, I can’t believe it was just yesterday when their tour bus passed me! _

**_@klainedreams34:_ ** _ What about Raja? Who is looking after him? _

**_@Starchild:_ ** _ Raja is upset, and is currently pacing the bus, waiting for Kurt to come and reassure him that all is well. _

**_@KelliottStalker:_ ** _ I knew Kurt and Elliott were a thing! Why else would Elliott be caring for Kurt’s beloved cat? Why won’t you just admit you are dating, @Starchild, @GlaszandPorcelain ? _

**_@LucyQFabray:_ ** _ You’re sick, @BastiansFaction _

**_@BlackwellsmyDaddy:_ ** _ Oh my god, I can’t believe that happened! So glad @BBlackwell is unharmed! _


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late. Hubby lost his job on Friday, so I've had other things on my mind. 
> 
> Reviews always welcome!

**Chapter Five**

Blaine was pacing the hospital room as Kurt sat on the bed, staring at his hand, which was now bandaged up. They were just waiting for the discharge papers, along with a prescription for painkillers. It was a relief the spike had gone clean through and hadn’t done any serious damage to Kurt’s hand.

“Blaine, will you please stop pacing? You’re making me nervous,” Kurt said, not looking up from his bandaged hand.

The magician halted in his step to look at him. “I can’t! My mind won’t shut up! You’ve been injured and if not for what you did, I could be dead right now, if not seriously injured myself!”

Kurt was quiet for a long moment. He bit his lip, wondering if he should tell Blaine what he was suspecting. But he knew he couldn’t keep it from him.

“Someone did it on purpose,” he finally said. Blaine halted again and turned his head so sharply in Kurt’s direction, the pale man swore he heard Blaine’s neck crack.

“What?” the magician said in a surprised voice.

Kurt drew a breath. “After the opening trick, I left to go change for my next illusion. I thought I saw someone lurking backstage around the rigging ropes and cords. I don’t know what they were doing, but they were wearing a glove on their hand.”

Blaine dropped into a chair with his eyes wide as saucers. Someone had deliberately attempted to harm him. Several moments of silence reverberating around what Kurt had just said and his eyes widened even more as a lightbulb went off in his head.

“It had to be someone we know,” he suddenly said. Kurt jerked his head up and looked at him.

“How do you know that?” he asked.

Blaine was shaking his own head. “Because, there were no reports of suspicious people lurking around the theater and security is very tight on making sure no one gets backstage who doesn’t belong there. And even if there was some sort of scuffle, we would have heard about it. Wes has never been the type to keep issues from us.”

Kurt was quiet for a moment. He realized Blaine was right. It had to have been someone they knew.

“Besides,” Blaine went on. “An outsider wouldn’t have known exactly what that rope tethered.”

The pale man felt his chest tighten. Someone they knew had intentionally tried to hurt Blaine. If the person was after Blaine, that left a short list. There were very few people who would have that kind of grudge.

“Who would have done that?” Kurt asked quietly. Blaine just shook his head.

“I don’t know,” he said honestly.

The door opened, and both men glanced over, expecting it to be the nurse with the discharge paperwork, but instead, a very unhappy looking Asian man entered. 

“We need to get you guys out of here and back to the hotel, immediately,” Wes said. “I have your papers, and we’re all set. Get dressed quickly.”

“What’s wrong?” Blaine asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach telling him he already knew the answer.

“I had Sam, Artie, and Adam go over the rigging. It had been tampered with. Police are investigating. A detective will want to speak with both of you as soon as we get back. For now you’ll have a police escort.”

So it was true. Someone had deliberately sabotaged the illusion with the intent of committing bodily harm. But who could have wanted to do such a thing?

Kurt and Blaine exchanged worried looks as Wes left the room again to give Kurt some privacy so he could get dressed. Blaine had to help him because he couldn’t really use his bandaged hand.

The two men finally emerged from the hospital room with solemn looks on their faces. Wes was accompanied by the police escort who led the three of them out of the hospital.

…

Raja let out a happy growl as Kurt got on the bus, and the pale man fell to his knees and hugged him.

“He wouldn’t stop pacing the entire night,” Elliott said, looking Kurt over himself. “How are you feeling?”

Kurt buried his face in the animal’s soft fur. “I’m fine, physically. Emotionally? I’m too pissed to be scared.”

Elliott and Quinn exchanged looks. Kurt could tell that neither of them had been completely informed of the findings, even though it had been Quinn who had tweeted about law enforcement getting involved.

“Why are you pissed?” Elliott asked carefully.

The pale man exchanged a glance between Blaine and Wes before answering. “Someone sabotaged the rope. This wasn’t an accident. And it had to be someone in the crew, or someone who had access backstage.”

“Are you serious?” Quinn asked. She stood from where she’d been sitting and scrolling through her Twitter feed. “Who could have been that desperate to take Blaine out all of a sudden?”

Blaine shrugged. “I can think of a couple of possibilities.” He pulled Kurt back up to his feet and hugged him again for comfort, although he wasn’t sure if he was offering comfort, or seeking it. “I know there are a couple of people who aren’t happy with me and the show right now.”

Kurt held Blaine tighter, dropping a kiss into his hair and nuzzling his cheek against his head for a moment. “I think Adam is definitely a suspect,” he said after a moment of thought. “He hasn’t been shy about wanting me for himself.”

Elliott looked thoughtful for a moment. “That’s a possibility, although, unless the guy is a much better actor than I give him credit for, he seemed truly upset when he realized someone had tampered with the rigging.”

Quinn shook her head. “I still wouldn’t count him out. We’ve established that the attack was intended for Blaine. Kurt is so important to Adam, I’m sure he would be truly upset to learn it backfired.”

Wes frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me Adam was causing you troubles?”

Kurt sighed. “Because what’s the point when it’s all talk and no walk? He hasn’t actually attempted anything. Though it’s getting old trying to tell him I’m not interested, because he thinks I’m playing hard to get or something.”

Wes sighed. “Make sure you tell the detective about it. And I’ll make sure security keeps him under watch. Who else do you think it could be?”

Quinn held up her phone. “Some twitter guy named @BastiansFaction was joking about the fact the rigging didn’t kill Blaine. Or maybe he meant Kurt?”

Elliott snorted. “How the hell could anyone actually  _ like _ the meerkat?”

Kurt subconsciously scratched at his head, idly glancing up at the ceiling before he became stark still in Blaine’s arms.

No one else seemed to notice Kurt’s reaction, but Blaine glanced down at him. “What is it?”

Kurt was quiet for a beat, a contemplative look on his face as suddenly everyone else was looking at him. “Well,” he started slowly. “Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but, what about Tina?”

They all stood there in stunned silence for the moment. “It does kind of make crazy sense,” Quinn said. “She was pretty upset earlier. But would she really jeopardize everything like that?”

Clearly, glancing at Blaine told everyone it wasn’t an idea he wanted to entertain. He’d known Tina for ten years. But he’d known Quinn for longer. They’d grown up together, and he would hands down take Quinn’s word over Tina’s. “Would she really be so blinded by hurt and anger that she would think sabotaging me was worth it?”

Kurt was once again contemplative for a moment. “Tina isn’t shy about bragging that she’s the one who made you. It’s why she’s constantly stating her disapproval that you hired the rest of us. She doesn’t think you need us. If she thinks she’s the reason you made it big, I wouldn’t put it past her to think she will be the reason your career ends, too. Because you weren’t grateful enough.”

“Kurt has a point,” Elliott stated. “But there is someone else we should consider as well. Sebastian could have rigged it, knowing how Kurt would respond, and thought maybe he could get Kurt out of the way.”

Quinn snorted. “That’s not a bad assumption, dear cousin. But do you really think Sebastian has enough intellectual room in that sex adled brain to think that in depth? On top of that, he, like all the others, thinks that Kurt and Blaine hate each other. Why would he be so certain of what Kurt would do in that situation?”

Wes clapped his hands to get their attention, much like he once banged his beloved gavel during Warbler meetings. “Make sure you tell the police what you suspect, and I’ll make sure security is on top of things. For now, let’s just get back to the hotel.”

Elliott grabbed his coat as Kurt hooked the leash onto Raja’s collar. “I just hope this will give at least Rachel a reason to be a bit more civil to you, Kurt.” The pale man shrugged.

“If it doesn’t, we know she has less than half a brain,” he deadpanned.

…

Once they were back in their hotel room (well, Kurt’s hotel room. Blaine’s was next door,) after speaking to the detective and telling him everything they could think of that might help the investigation, Blaine helped Kurt get ready for bed, since his hand was still numb from the lidocaine. 

Raja paced impatiently beside them, occasionally nudging Kurt’s uninjured hand, seeking reassurance. Kurt scratched behind his ears, stifling a yawn. Blaine shook his head with a small smile on his face. “You look like a sleepy little boy. So cute and innocent.”

Kurt scowled a little at that. “I’m not a little boy!”

Blaine laughed. “You sound like one right now. Come on, let’s get in bed.”

He lifted the covers for Kurt to slide under, muttering something about showing Blaine just how  _ not _ a little boy he was, which just made the curly haired man laugh even more. “You can prove it to me tomorrow,” he replied, climbing in after the pale man.

Once they were settled, Raja jumped up on the bed, laying down between them, rumbling softly. Blaine was stunned by the animal’s actions. Usually Raja would try and force Blaine off the bed, but now the tiger seemed to be seeking comfort from both men. Tentatively, Blaine reached out and stroked the large cat behind the ears. Raja let out a little grunt, blinking at Blaine and rubbing his head against the darker man’s hand.

“I guess he finally decided you weren’t trying to steal me away afterall,” Kurt murmured softly, voice edged in sleep. Blaine couldn’t help grinning, and leaned over to kiss Kurt on the forehead as he continued to scratch the tiger’s ears.

…

_ “Sources inform WDLS News that the police are investigating the incident, although no word yet as to whether they believe it was deliberate or not. In the meantime, Kurt Hummel has released a statement saying that he is fine, and that he will be back for tonight’s show, although may not participate in his usual capacity. On another note, Blackwell’s manager has informed the media that lead assistant, Tina Cohen-Chang, will be taking a break from the show for a few days due to stress and personal issues…” _

**_@BlaineKurtElliott:_ ** _ Glad you’re alright, @GlaszandPorcelain. Hope my other boys are taking care of you! _

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ Tina must be totally freaked out about her fiance almost being killed on stage! Poor Blaine. I’m glad he’s safe, and I hope he and Tina are taking time for themselves to reassure each other that all is well! _

**_@BlainePicsABerry:_ ** _ So glad Rachel Berry will finally get a chance to prove she’s the better assistant! Shine on @RachelBerryGoldStar! _

**_@SmellsLikeAdamLambert:_ ** _ Seriously? Are none of you going to show any sympathy for Kurt? He’s the one who had a spike go THROUGH his hand! _

**_@IStanKlaine:_ ** _ My Sweet, Sweet Porcelain! If it is true someone did this deliberately, I shall seek revenge! _

**_@yadivagirl:_ ** _ So sad for Kurt, but happy he’s okay! I know poor Raja must have been frantic when they were separated! _

**_@KingRaja:_ ** _ Grrrr, grunt, ROAR! (Translation: I wanted to bite someone, damn it! {Bleep}) _

**_@GlaszandPorcelain:_ ** _ @KingRaja has been sent to bed without his treats for swearing. Thank you all for your concerns and positive energies! You know I love you all! _

**_@KurtHummelRockstheMagic:_ ** _ So glad Kurt is going to be okay! I don’t usually post here, I just lurk, but I had to say something this time. _

**_@KelliotStalker:_ ** _ I’m pretty sure Elliott is taking good care of Kurt! _

…

Kurt was still nestled in the blankets the next morning, Raja curled around him for comfort. Blaine was on the phone with Wes, discussing what their next course of action was. Mainly, they had to come up with something to fill in the spot of the illusion that caused the injury. The rope for the rigging needed to be fixed and there was no way Blaine would jump right back into doing that illusion anyway, after the fact.

A knock on the door caught both of their attention. Kurt started to get up but Blaine put a hand up to stop him and with his phone cradled against his shoulder, went to answer the door.

Three people were standing in the hall outside. Burt Hummel stepped into the room ahead of the other two without waiting for an invite.

“Where is he? Is he alright?” he asked, tone frantic.

“I’m fine dad,” Kurt said from the bed, rolling his eyes. “It’s just my hand,” he added, raising his bandaged hand. Raja let out a mewl and licked Kurt’s face, causing the pale man to laugh a bit.

“I don’t care!” Burt shouted. “That spike could have given you an infection!” He knew of course that Blaine and his crew took care of all their props and illusions and made sure everything was cleaned after every show, even if it wasn’t used in that performance. But that didn’t stop the worry of what could have happened.

Again, Kurt rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t worry too much dad. I don’t want you putting so much stress on your heart,” he said.

Burt grunted and dropped into a chair as the other two people came in from the hall. Blaine swiftly ended his call with Wes, as it would be rude to be on the phone while they had guests. Particularly when it was their parents.

“Hi mom,” Blaine said as he set his phone down.

Pam Anderson walked over and wrapped her arms around her younger son. “Hi sweetie. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Blaine replied as he hugged her back. He shared a look with Kurt. They hadn’t had a chance to discuss whether they wanted to tell their parents that what had happened wasn’t an accident. Although, it was all over the news anyway so they might have already known.

Carole Hudson-Hummel, Kurt’s stepmom, came and sat next to him on the bed. She reached out a hand and gave Raja a few pats on the head. “What you did was very brave Kurt,” she said to her stepson.

Pam turned from where she was still hugging her own son and nodded her head. “You probably saved Blaine’s life by doing that.”

Kurt was quiet for a moment. “I think it’s possible that Blaine could have survived. The walls of the box are pretty thick. They’re built that way to slow down the speed of the spikes in the event that something goes wrong. So Blaine might have been injured, but he would have recovered.”

Blaine jerked his head in Kurt’s direction. “I forgot about that.” It made him realize even more now it had to be someone in their crew. No one outside would have known that the spikes wouldn’t have killed him, just injured him.

Burt, Pam, and Carole glanced at each other and then back at the boys.

“Is there something you two haven’t told us?” Burt asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kurt and Blaine glanced at each other before Kurt slowly nodded his head. Blaine let out a breath and looked back at their parents.

“When our stagehands went to inspect the rigging, they discovered that it was tampered with. Someone deliberately tried to hurt me,” he said in a quiet voice.

Their parents fell silent as they looked between the two of them, clearly, not knowing what was the most appropriate thing to say. Kurt was well aware his dad could jump up and go off, maybe shout something about returning to Lima to get his shotgun.

Blaine was quick to nip any outcry in the bud. “We’ve already contacted the police and Kurt and I both gave the detective our suspicions. We have a few ideas of who it might have been and I assure you, when we figure out who did it, they will be dealt with accordingly.”

It was Pam who finally spoke. “And what about that interview yesterday?” she asked. Blaine cringed, knowing immediately what she was referring too. His eyes darkened for just a moment.

“Tina’s being reprimanded for that. When Wes gave the statement about her taking time off, he opted not to give the real reason why. But she’s not taking it on her own accord. I suspended her.”

Pam looked slightly surprised, but she had to say she was proud of her son for putting his foot down and not just letting the incident slide.

“You know, if the two of you would just be open to the public about your relationship, that wouldn’t have happened,” Carole said. Her voice was kind, but both Kurt and Blaine knew her words were full of disappointment. They hadn’t intentionally started keeping their relationship a secret. Hell, they hadn’t even meant for their supposed hatred of each other to become a fulltime act in front of those who didn’t know the truth.

Kurt looked at his stepmom. “I’m sorry Carole. You guys know we didn’t fall into this routine on purpose,” he told her. She sighed and patted his knee. Raja let out another mewl and nuzzled his head into Kurt’s side.

Blaine spoke up then. “I know you guys don’t like that we’re hiding it. So, by the end of the tour, I promise, no more hiding us. After what Tina had the audacity to say in that interview the other day, I don’t want any more questions. We’ll need some time to figure out the best way to do it, but I promise, it will happen.”

Kurt let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “It will be so nice not to have to pretend to hate you in public anymore,” he said. Blaine just chuckled.

“You two never did tell us why you pretend to hate each other,” Burt said.

Blaine blushed, but Kurt just laughed. “We’d gone out to a bar after winning the first round of The Illusionist, and maybe had a couple too many drinks. We started arguing, I don’t remember about what, and I guess someone from the show snapped a picture of it, and posted it on social media. The rumors started to grow from that, it added some tension to the act, and the audience ate it up.”

Burt was frowning. “But surely the other members of the crew didn’t believe it was a real argument.”

Blaine shook his head. “Technically it was real, just alcohol induced. And we’d kind of been bickering a lot anyway at the time. So they thought the alcohol pushed everything to the table and we had this big blow out.”

“Honestly,” Kurt said, “I don’t even remember what the argument was about anymore.”

“Probably something completely pointless,” Blaine said with a shrug. “Most alcohol induced arguments are. For all we know, you could have said something negative about the shirt I was wearing.”

Kurt gave him a playful look before settling on a fond one. “Yes honey, but if it weren’t for that argument, we wouldn’t be here now.”

“True,” Blaine replied.

Pam had a confused expression on her face. “Are you saying an argument you don’t remember the details of is the reason you’re together now?"

It was Kurt’s turn to blush, while Blaine looked embarrassed. “Sometimes drunken arguments lead to other things…”

It took a moment for anyone to register those words. “Oh,” Pam said.

Carole cleared her throat. “I see.”

Burt couldn’t seem to make up his mind whether to laugh or glare, and his face kept going back and forth between the two.

The awkward moment was shattered by another knock on the door. “Room Service!” a familiar voice called out, and Kurt rolled his eyes. 

“Come in, Elliott!”

Elliott laughed as he entered, carrying take out bags. “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!”

“You’re not Greek,” Kurt said flatly. 

“But I am bringing Greek food,” the taller man said. “Burt, good to see you, man!”

“Elliott, it’s been a while. What do you have to say about all this sabotage nonsense?”

Elliott set the takeout on the table and turned to give Burt a serious look, something that you knew meant he meant business because Elliott was rarely ever serious about anything.

“It’s not nonsense Burt,” he said quietly, also a rarity for him. He sighed and looked around at everyone in the room. “Even the police confirmed the rope showed sure signs of having been tampered with.”

Carole moved to sit on the arm of the chair beside Burt. “Who do you think is responsible?”

“We have a couple ideas. Adam, Sebastian, and Tina,” Elliott replied, knowing the last one would likely come as a surprise to the parents.

“Tina?” Pam said, a look of consternation on her face. “Why would she do that if she’s convinced herself you are in love with her?”

It was Kurt who spoke up. “You didn’t see the blow out that happened after that interview. Blaine was fuming that Tina would go right ahead and tell that reporter they were talking about marriage, and then she said the rest of us probably wouldn’t be around much longer because she was all Blaine needed.”

Elliott gave his head a shake and added, “Tina’s never been shy about the fact that she disapproves of having to share her stage time with other people. She’s always said  _ she _ was the reason Blaine made it big.”

Burt was frowning. “I’ve never really had a good feeling about that girl. She’s always seemed so clingy, and a little desperate.”

“Everyone was angry at her,” Blaine put in. “It’s why I decided to suspend her until further notice. Wes agreed, so he made the statement that came out in that news brief this morning.”

“What about the other two?” Carole asked. “We shouldn’t just focus on one person. Why do you suspect the others?”

Kurt groaned. “Adam has been after me in a romantic sense since day one. He won’t take no for an answer. The intent was to harm Blaine, so I wouldn’t put it past him to try something.”

“Adam, that’s the stage hand guy, right?” Burt asked. “If he’s been harassing you, why not fire him before it got this far?”

Blaine was the one who answered him. “Because Adam’s been all talk. He’s never made any physical attempts at trying anything. We can’t really fire him with no conclusive evidence. This is one of those things you need physical evidence.”

Burt harrumphed. It reminded him too much of the BS they’d gone through with that idiot principal when Kurt was in high school and getting bullied daily.

“I know you hate it dad, but you know as well as I do, we can’t do anything because he hasn’t actually tried anything.”

Burt wasn’t appeased. “I knew I should have brought my shotgun.”

Carole was quick to diffuse the sudden tension. “What about the third suspect?” she asked, attempting to get them back on the current topic, and away from Burt going on the rampage.

Surprisingly, it was Pam who answered. “Sebastian has been chasing Blaine for years. He transferred to Dalton shortly after Blaine graduated, and the Warblers kept talking about his solos. Sebastian researched Blaine, and set his sights on him.”

Burt looked confused. “That doesn’t explain why he would try to attack Blaine.”

Elliott was the one to answer this time. “It was brought up he might have done it with the indirect intention of causing harm to Kurt.”

Kurt hid his face in Raja’s fur for a moment, not wanting to see his dad’s reaction. Burt was clenching his fist. “So, either someone was trying to hurt Blaine, but missed, or someone was trying to hurt Kurt, but missed.”

“I know Sebastian’s a sleaze,” Blaine started. “But he’s the lowest on the list because well, we really don’t think he’s intelligent enough to set up a ploy like that. And with the fact that he thinks Kurt and I hate each other, he’d probably be second guessing himself whether or not Kurt would try to save me.”

The others all seemed to agree. “So Tina or Adam,” Pam said.

“Tina or Adam,” Kurt confirmed, his eyes on the window. “We know it’s someone in the crew. No one outside would know that the box in the illusion is designed to prevent fatal injury if something goes wrong.” He looked back at everyone. “I just hope we’re not all missing the mark and it’s someone else in the crew no one saw coming.”

The silence this time seemed to chill everyone to the bone.

…

Raja grumbled a bit from his spot in the corner, as the two men began getting dressed for that night’s performance. Kurt smiled and walked over to scratch the tiger behind the ears. The cat had been a little more needy today, and Kurt had ordered him a bag of large, meaty bones as a treat. Raja had only gnawed on one a little, too distracted watching Kurt carefully.

“I don’t think we should do the cage illusion tonight,” Kurt said. “Raja is still too upset.”

Blaine came over to pet the large carnivore. “If you think it’s for the best. Besides, I wasn’t really looking forward to performing that one with Rachel anyway.”

“I have to admit,” Kurt said, setting out a bowl of water for Raja. “I much prefer doing that illusion with Tina anyway. I don’t think anyone would believe you and I were fighting over Rachel.”

Blaine shuddered. “No one would ever believe we’d fight over her, true. But what if Tina is the one who sabotaged the rope?”

“I won’t lie,” Kurt said, feeling like he was just rephrasing the same thing he said only moments earlier. He came and wrapped his arms around Blaine’s neck. “Honestly, given the timing, Tina is top of my suspect list. The way she brags that you would be nothing without her, says she wouldn’t hesitate to try and ruin you.”

Blaine sighed and leaned his forehead on Kurt’s. “I know. None of the others make any sense, really. It has to be her.” He stood up a little straighter. “What are we going to do about her?”

Kurt shook his head. “I don’t know. You can’t just fire her outright, but maybe Wes can put her on a probationary period.”

“You don’t think I should press charges?”

The pale man kissed him firmly on the lips. “Mm, I love you baby, and yes, I do think you should. But, there’s not much point in pressing charges now when we don’t have definitive proof she did it.”

“True,” Blaine said, kissing him once again, holding him tighter. “Do we have to go on tonight? Can’t we just stay here and do a real disappearing act?”

Kurt nuzzled his cheek for a moment and pulled back just enough to look at him. “I wish. The only thing I really want to do right now is be pampered by my loving boyfriend. But we have to be big boys. Regardless of who it was, we cannot let them chase us away. We have to show that they can’t break us.” He kissed him again. “Besides, if you pull off the show tonight, I’ll draw you one of my special bubble baths you love so much.”

“MMM, will you join me in it?” Blaine asked.

“Don’t I always?” Kurt replied in a playful tone, kissing him again. Before they could get anymore aroused, Raja was nudging in between them with both their coats as though telling them they needed to work now, playtime later.

Kurt laughed, and rubbed the tiger behind his ears. “Good boy, Raja. You behave for dad tonight, and I’ll be back as soon as the show is over.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

  
  


The show was well underway when Blaine ran out onto the stage, dressed in overalls and a baseball cap and looking very much like a big kid. He ran through the space waving his arms around before he came to a stop and frowned, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting like a kid might when not getting their way.

Blaine stayed that way for a moment before his eyes lit up and he raised a finger like he had an idea and then he ran back offstage. A beat in the playful music and next the audience was treated to Blaine pushing what looked like a giant top hat out onto the stage. He kept pushing until the top hat was centerstage and then he stopped and swiped an arm across his forehead like it was hard work.

The magician then jumped up, trying to reach for the rim of the top hat, but he fell short, he frowned and jumped again. He still fell short. Once more, he pouted before another idea came to him and he ran off the stage a second time.

Another beat in the playful music and Blaine came skipping back onto the stage with a stepladder tucked under one arm. The audience couldn’t help but to laugh at Blaine’s childish antics. He scurried over to the top hat and set the stepladder out against it, triumphantly climbing the ladder and leaning over the rim to look down into the hat and then…

He fell in. The audience laughed as Blaine stood up and shook his head off. Once more, he had that light bulb idea reaction and ducked back down, coming up with a deep blue blanket.

Blaine showed both sides of the blanket and waved his hand around the inside of the top hat. And then the blanket went up, and came down again. There was Rachel, dressed like a rabbit and playing the part, she wriggled her nose to more laughter from the audience, and hopped out of the hat.

The magician pouted when his bunny hopped away, but there went the lightbulb and he raised the blanket a second time. When it came down, Elliott appeared, also dressed like a rabbit. However, he was pretending to be a smirky little rabbit and swatted playfully at a bit of Blaine’s hair sticking out from under the baseball cap. The audience laughed again and Blaine attempted to grab the rabbit, but Elliott was too fast and hopped out of the hat just like Rachel. He hopped away.

Again, Blaine pouted at being left alone in the hat. But he had one more idea. He raised the blanket up a third and final time and when it came down this time, there stood Kurt, who like the two before him, was dressed like a rabbit. Kurt however, grabbed Blaine’s baseball cap in his teeth and hopped out of the hat with it. Blaine scrambled to climb out and began chasing rabbit Kurt as he hopped around the stage with the baseball cap in his mouth.

Around and around the stage they went until Blaine had an epiphany. He grabbed the blanket from the top hat and threw it over a hopping Kurt, and just like that, the blanket swept him away and dropped to the floor. It was as though Kurt had been a hologram and wasn’t really there at all.

But when the audience looked closely, they could see the blanket moving. Blaine knelt on the floor and pulled it off and there on the stage, was a real fluffy white bunny rabbit with the baseball cap in its mouth.

The audience awed and applauded and Blaine took the cap from the bunny and stood with the creature in his arms. He walked to the edge of the stage and held the furball out for a small child in the front row, who took it gleefully.

Blaine took a bow in front of the top hat, threw the blanket up a last time and vanished beneath it as it fell to the floor.

…

Kurt tugged on the gloves for the next part of the show as he waited backstage, having just changed out of the bunny costume. He was admiring the way Blaine’s current outfit, black jeans and a loose, pirate style shirt, made the curly haired man look like a Disney Prince.

“You know Blaine,” Sebastian said, coming up behind the magician, and sliding a hand into his shirt. “I could really oil these sore muscles for you later.”

Blaine stepped away from him with a glare. “You’re one word away from being terminated, Sebastian. Keep your hands to yourself, or maybe the next time I do the guillotine trick, It won’t be an illusion.”

Sebastian huffed and crossed his arms. “You know, this playing hard to get thing was cute in the beginning but it’s really starting to get old.”

“Who says he’s playing hard to get?” Kurt said, moving up behind Sebastian.

The meerkat whirled around and glared at Kurt. “Who asked you for your opinion? Besides, why do you care? You hate the guy!”

Kurt chuckled darkly and moved past Sebastian. “Maybe, but I can still do this,” he said. He walked around Blaine and seductively slid his hand down his chest.

Sebastian’s nostrils flared. “Oh sure, you’ll let the guy you hate touch you easily, but not me?”

Blaine’s eyes flashed darkly in Sebastian’s direction. “There’s a big difference between hate and disgust,” he said.

“You’re delusional if you think he would give you the time of day,” Kurt quipped. “Now, he’s asked you nicely to stop. I’m not going to be so polite. Back off, or I’ll introduce you to Raja’s dark side.”

Sebastian glared at them both. “You know, it’s such a shame those spikes didn’t do any real damage.”

“Is that a threat?” Blaine asked, his own nostrils flaring, the sure sign of his anger. “Because mark my words Sebastian Smythe. I advise you to think very carefully about what you are saying because I will not hesitate to have you arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit bodily harm.”

Sebastian continued to stare for a moment. “Fine, but mark my words, Blaine, you’ll come crawling to me on your knees eventually. Why keep fighting it?” Before either man could reply, the sleazy assistant turned and walked away.

Kurt watched the man sauntering off, frowning slightly. “Blaine love, I think it’s time you start auditioning for his replacement.”

Blaine gave a sharp nod. “I’ll talk to Wes after the show.”

…

It was some bit later when Blaine came walking out onto the stage, dressed casually, the sleeves of his button down rolled up to the elbows. Behind him, there was a table on which stood a paper bag, and a clipboard. He was holding three medium sized nerf balls in his hands.

“Now, for my next illusion, I’m going to need some volunteers from the audience. Taking a leaf out of some of my idols’ books, I’m going to find them by randomly tossing the three balls I have in my hands into the crowd. If you catch one, please make your way to the stage.” He smiled and turned around. “Ready?” he called. “One, two, three!” He tossed each ball over his shoulder in quick succession.

Blaine turned back around. “Once again, if you caught one of those, please make your way out of the audience and join me up here onstage! Everyone give our volunteers a nice round of applause!”

The audience applauded as three people made their way up to the stage. One of them was a child who was squealing with delight at having been chosen.

“Hello hello! It’s always great to meet some of the fans up close! Can you please do everyone a favor and tell us what your names are!”

“I’m Gena,” said the little girl.

“Joe,” said a man in a military uniform.

“Anne,” said the final volunteer, who was an older woman.

“Everyone, Gena, Joe, and Anne! Let’s give them another round of applause!” The audience applauded again. “You know what, with all the people I meet, it’s kind of hard to keep track of names so I think I’m going to use a mnemonic device. I think I’ll refer to the three of you as G. I. JoAnne. Is that okay?” The audience laughed. “I’m just teasing. Anne if you will just stay where you are for now, Joe, I want you to come with me.” He guided the man to a spot on the stage. “Just stand right, right over the trap door is fine.” The audience laughed again. “And Gena, you’re going to have the most important job of all.”

Blaine led the little girl over to the table and picked up the paper bag. “Gena, what I want you to do is hold onto this bag. Hold onto it tight, out in front of you, and don’t let it go, okay?” She nodded. He then picked up the clipboard and moved over to Anne. There was a sharpie attached to the clipboard.

“Anne,” he went on, addressing her. “I want you to take that sharpie and on that clipboard, write the name of any food item you’d like. It can be a beverage, it can be a breakfast food, a fruit, a vegetable, anything. Go ahead and do that now and when you’re done, I want you to hold the clipboard to your chest. Don’t let anyone see it.”

Anne thought for a moment and wrote something down before holding the clipboard to her chest and nodding to Blaine.

“Got it?” he asked to confirm and she nodded again. “Good.” Blaine smiled and walked over to Joe, where there was a curtain folded in front of him. “Joe, I want you to do me a favor and examine this curtain for me. Make sure it’s solid and there are no trapdoors or anything in it.” The audience laughed.

The uniformed man thoroughly examined the curtain, running his hand over the fabric carefully, and nodded in satisfaction.

“Thank you Joe. You did a really good job of that. Do you examine curtains often?” he joked. “Actually, you get to do the fun part Joe, how exciting. On the count of three, I’m going to make the audience disappear from your view. One...two...three!” He pulled the curtain up over the volunteer and made sure it covered him completely. The audience laughed and even Joe was laughing beneath the curtain.

Blaine strolled back over to Gena. “How are you doing back here, you good?” The little girl nodded. “Okay,” the magician said with a smile.

He moved back over to Anne. “You know what, I think I might be just a bit more famished today. Anne, I want you to think of any two food items that go with what you already wrote down and add them to your list.” He watched as the woman quickly added a couple of things to the paper. “Good, now back to your chest.” She pressed the clipboard back to her chest.

Blaine moved back to center stage and addressed the audience. “Joe is about to become a delicious model...hopefully.” The audience laughed. “Anne, I want you to look at me, look right at me and think about the first item on that list.” Behind him, a stagehand rolled out a whiteboard, back facing the audience. “Just think about it, don’t say a word, and keep your eyes on me.” After a moment, Blaine jogged over to the whiteboard and scribbled something down. “Okay Anne, I want you to focus your eyes on me again and this time, send me the second item on the list. Once again just use your thoughts.” When he felt he had something, Blaine went over and scribbled a second word down. “Okay, finally, send me the third item on the list in exactly the same way.” Another few moments and he scribbled a third thing down.

Blaine came back to center stage. “Now, wouldn’t it be something if I were to pull off that curtain and our friend Joe was dressed like Anne’s food?” The audience cheered and clapped and giggled. “Yeah?” Blaine egged them on. “Well, he’s not gonna be,” he said and pulled off the curtain to an unchanged Joe, who was laughing along with everyone else. “Joe, audience. Audience, Joe!” There was applause as Blaine took a bow. “Thank you and goodnight!” laughter filled the theater. “No, actually Joe, if you could just hold your arms out for me,” he went on.

The military man held out his arms and Blaine pretended to move them into precise position and covered his arms with the curtain before moving away.

“Now, I’ve written down on this whiteboard the three items I think Anne was sending me telepathically,” he said, moving to turn the whiteboard around. “And I covered them with paper.” There were three strips of paper on the board. “Anne, will you please reveal to the audience now, what the first item was?”

“An orange!” she said.

Blaine pulled off the first paper to reveal that he’d written the word ‘orange’ on the whiteboard. The audience cheered and applauded. “Anne, can you tell us the second item on the list?”

“Coffee!” she said.

“Coffee,” Blaine repeated. “So common for breakfast.” He removed the second paper to reveal the word ‘coffee’ written down. The audience cheered and applauded again. “Anne, finally, give us the last item on the list!”

“A bagel!” she said.

Blaine paused. “A bagel?” he asked, looking worried. “You’re sure it was a bagel?” She nodded. “Who needs whiteboards anyway?” he laughed and shoved the whiteboard away. “Actually, if I come down here, back to Joe, you might hear his stomach growl.” Everyone laughed again and Blaine took a moment to wait for them to calm down. “One more time Anne, what were the items on the list?” he asked.

“An orange, coffee, and a bagel!”

Blaine pulled the curtain off Joe’s arms to reveal a tray had appeared in his arms.. “Ladies and gentlemen, Joe has his breakfast of an orange, coffee, and a bagel!”

The audience cheered and applauded and Blaine told Joe to stay where he was as he moved back over to Gena who had been standing there the whole time, holding out the bag.

“Gena, you’ve been such a trooper. Actually Anne, I knew you were going to pick those three things because before the show, I had my manager pack me a little snack and it’s been right here in this bag the whole time. Gena, I want you to go ahead and open that bag and pull out what’s inside of it!”

The girl carefully opened the bag and reached inside and pulled out an orange and handed it to Blaine, who showed it to the audience. She then reached in again and pulled out a small travel mug of coffee, which Blaine also showed for the audience. But when the girl reached into the bag a third time, it was empty.

Blaine looked a little embarrassed. “Oops. Oh well, I think I can remedy this.” He moved back over to the whiteboard and pulled off the last piece of paper, revealing the word ‘bagel’ written there. He then took the paper, crumpled it up, and moved back to Gena. “Hold that bag open for me once more, Gena.”

The girl opened the bag, and Blaine dropped the crumpled paper into it. “Now, close it up tight, and shake it up really good.”

Gena did as instructed, practically jumping up and down in her effort to shake it up as best as possible.

“That’s great,” Blaine said. “Now open the bag again, and pull out what’s inside.”

She opened the bag, and pulled out…

...a bagel.

The audience cheered and applauded and laughed in their delight. “Ladies and gentlemen, Gena, Joe, and Anne! Please give them a round of applause!”

As the audience applauded, Quinn and Kurt walked out on the stage, each carrying bags. Blaine took the one Quinn was carrying, and opened it up. “For being such good sports, we have some gifts for each of you. There’s a tshirt,” he held up the shirt, and pulled out another item, “and a travel mug, and a couple other goodies.” He placed the items back into the bag and handed it to Gena, as Kurt handed his two bags to Anne and Joe. “You may return to your seats now, thank you so much! One more time for our volunteers!” The audience applauded again as the three went back to their seats and Gena squealed in her mother’s arms excitedly.

Blaine stood facing the audience with his hands in his pockets. “Sometimes just the simplest effects can mesmerize a person,” he said. He pulled his hands out and revealed a quarter. “And one of the oldest standards that all magicians should know, is how to make anything,” he held the quarter in the air, “Levitate.” He let go and the quarter remained floating in midair. “Catch you on the flipside,” Blaine said, and jogged off the stage, leaving the quarter floating.

…

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ So sad Tina wasn't there tonight, especially after they announced their engagement yesterday! _

**_@Kina4eva:_ ** _ I can't believe it! Kurt must be heartbroken! How could she lead him on like that? And he injured himself rescuing the man who stole her from him! _

**_@KurtHummelRockstheMagic:_ ** _ So glad @GlaszandPorcelain is alright. Great to see him strut out on that stage tonight like nothing happened  _

**_@BlainePicsABerry:_ ** _ Rachel was amazing tonight! Much better than Tina! Rachel should be the main assistant every show _

**_@kc_baker:_ ** _ @BBlackwell thank you so much for tonight. I'm Gena's mom, and she was so excited to get to go on stage with you. It was extra special because tomorrow she starts chemo! Thank you once more. You’ll never know what a dream this was for her! _

**_@RajasRagina:_ ** _ No Raja tonight! So Sad :(. But it’s always good to remember what’s best for the animal. Lord Tubbington says hi! _

**_@IHeartBlaine:_ ** _ Amazing performance tonight, @BBlackwell, despite everything going on. Hope everything settles down and the show goes back to normal _

**_@BlaineKurtElliott:_ ** _ Any news yet on whether or not it’s true the rigging was tampered with? _

**_@klainedreams34:_ ** _ Guys! My Boyfriend bought me tickets to see @BBlackwell in Las Vegas! I think he’s going to propose when we get there! _

**_@GlaszandPorcelain:_ ** _ Thank you to all the fans! My hand and I are doing just fine. Raja sends his love as well. As you can imagine, he’s been a bit upset all day, so I made the decision not to include him in tonight's performance. He will return once he is more settled. _

**_@WMontgomeryMngmt:_ ** _ As it is still an active investigation, we can not release any information at this time, however, we would like to assure everyone that all precautions are being taken to guarantee the safety of the cast, crew, and audience. _

**_@SleazeBastian:_ ** _ Look! I’m Sebastian Smythe and I have a microscopic penis! I’m so pathetic I have to resort to sexual harassment to get laid! _

**_@BlaineKurtElliott:_ ** _ OMG! Love it! Whoever keeps hacking his account, please, don’t ever stop! _

**_@blueandhazellove:_ ** _ Oh my god! I just snorted coffee out my nose! _

**_@BlackbirdTears:_ ** _ /whistles innocently… _

**_@SmellsLikeAdamLambert:_ ** _ Haha! Love it! That is the best hack I’ve ever seen! _

**_@SleazeBastian:_ ** _ Damn it this isn’t funny! Stop hacking my account, Elliott! _

**_@Starchild:_ ** _ Don’t look at me, I didn’t do it. It’s not my fault you changed your password to Sebastianishardforyou _


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Blaine was pacing the hotel room after the show, waiting for Wes to show up as Kurt reclined on the bed, stroking Raja behind the ears. The pale man was watching him with a concerned look on his face.

“Blaine, sweetie,” he asked. “Why are you so tense?”

The magician sighed and ran a hand over his face. “Sorry,” he said. “I’m just a bit worried about auditioning a replacement while still in the middle of the tour.”

Kurt looked thoughtful for a moment. “Maybe you don’t have to necessarily,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“If you know anyone you trust who can temporarily fill in, you won’t have to audition anyone until after the tour is over,” he explained.

Blaine was quiet for a moment, contemplating the idea when they heard a knock on the door and he hurried to open it. Wes came walking in, eyes on his phone as usual, as he texted someone at a breakneck speed.

“You wanted to talk, Blaine?” he said without looking up from the phone. Blaine shut the door behind him.

“Yes. Sebastian needs to be replaced. It’s not up for discussion.”

That got Wes’ attention. He raised his head from his phone and pocketed the device, before crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow at Blaine. He knew better than to just outright question the other man. Wes and Blaine had been friends for a long time and even though he was his manager now, he would always be his friend first.

“What brought this on?” the Asian man asked. What he really wanted to do was order a bottle of champagne and celebrate the possible departure. But as his manager, he had to be professional about it. Though he was pretty sure what Blaine’s number one reason for wanting to let Sebastian go was.

Blaine sighed. “First of all, I’m tired of him harassing me. That man won’t take no for an answer,” he started.

“More like he doesn’t understand the meaning of the word no, no matter how straightforward and clear you are about it,” Kurt piped up.

The curly haired man nodded. “Right. I was willing to put up with it because it’s really harmless essentially, but tonight he made a comment about how it was too bad the spike didn’t do any real damage.”

Wes’ eyes went wide and he glanced at Kurt, who nodded as Raja nudged his way under the pale man’s hand.

“Do you think he would try to hurt Kurt?” he asked carefully.

Kurt and Blaine exchanged looks, and it was Kurt who responded. “I think we shouldn’t take any chances that he would try. He’s the only one in the entire cast and crew who was happy I got hurt at all, but seemingly devastated it wasn’t serious.”

Wes sighed. “You know we can’t really hold an audition now,” he said, looking apologetic.

Blaine nodded. “I know. But Kurt suggested we get someone we already know and trust on a temporary basis, just so we can finish the tour. And also, there’s the issue with Tina.”

“What about Tina?” Wes questioned.

“Kurt and I think she’s the one who tampered with the rope. The timing makes complete sense. She’d just gotten in serious trouble for that stunt she pulled at the interview. And she was pissed at me because I wouldn’t go along with it.”

Kurt was nodding his head. “Not to mention, she’s not shy about telling anyone who will listen that Blaine wouldn’t be successful right now if it wasn’t for her. After the fact, I wouldn’t put it past her to think if she made him, she could break him.”

Wes sighed again. “I’ll have the police keep a closer eye on her, but there’s not much else I can do without proof that she’s the person responsible. Comments are just circumstantial and it’s harder to build a case on that.” He paced the room for a moment. “We’d need a way to keep her distracted though, so that she doesn’t catch on that she’s a lead suspect in the incident.”

“I might have a solution to that,” Kurt said, looking between Wes and Blaine. “One that could kill two birds with one stone. That is, keep Tina distracted and be a temporary replacement in the show.”

“You know someone?” Blaine asked hopefully. He’d been thinking that maybe Nick or Jeff could do it, but both of them would be a shot in the dark, because while they’d do a good job, they were prone to changing things up on you all the time. And he wasn’t sure that was something he wanted right now.

Kurt reached over and grabbed his phone from the bedside table. “I have a friend, his name is Mike Chang, and he’s a fan of Tina’s. But he’s also a successful professional dancer so he’d be able to pick up the choreography really quick.”

Blaine was nodding his head. He knew that he could trust Kurt. He glanced at Wes, who was also nodding.

“Kurt,” Wes started. “Why don’t you get in contact with him asap and see if he can join us. I’ll figure out just how to let Sebastian go, though I would just love to let you tell him outright that he’s fired. However, circumstances won’t allow us to be that brash.” He frowned. “I’ll go work on that. Don’t be late for rehearsal tomorrow guys.” He gave them both a nod before he pulled his phone back out of his pocket and let himself out of the room.

After Wes left, Kurt dialed Mike’s number. 

“Hey, stranger, I have a proposition for you.”

Mike chuckled. “I’ve told you before, Kurt, I’m flattered, but I don’t swing that way.”

Kurt laughed. “Honestly though, how would you like a job that would give you the chance to work with your not so secret crush for the next three and a half weeks?”

“When and where?”

Kurt gave him the details, and told him he’d have Wes make the flight arrangements for the next day. They talked for a little while about each other’s families and lives, before Kurt said good night, and indicated for Raja to go lay down on his cushion.

Blaine climbed onto the bed beside him, leaning in to pepper kisses across the pale man’s neck.

“Mm Blaine,” Kurt moaned, wrapping his arms loosely around the other’s neck.

“I have all this pent up aggression from not being able to ravage you when certain other people are around,” Blaine whined, moving to press a kiss to Kurt’s lips.

Kurt hummed. “Soon, honey, I promise, soon,” he said, diving in for another kiss while clapping his hands behind Blaine to shut the lights off in the room.

**...**

“Alright, everyone gather around!” Wes called out as they got ready for rehearsals Wednesday. “I have a few announcements to make.”

The cast and crew all moved in around the manager, looking curious about what kind of announcements he had to make.

“First of all, I want to thank everyone for stepping up last night and making the show go seamlessly!”

“I told you I was a star!” Rachel blurted out. Kurt rolled his eyes, taking a sip from his water bottle. Rachel could be a nuisance but at least he doubted she would ever physically attempt to sabotage the team. She always thought of her own career first, which while selfish, was probably a blessing, because it meant she’d be watching her own moves so she didn’t mess things up for herself.

“Yes, thank you, Rachel. You did perform very well last night. Which brings me to my second announcement. I’ve spoken with Tina, and she will be rejoining us for the show on Monday, in Albuquerque.”

Rachel narrowed her eyes. “Isn’t that a little soon? Come on, Wes! She wanted to fire all of the rest of us! She said Blaine didn’t need us!”

Wes gave her a stern look. “I am aware of the situation, Rachel, and I have taken care of it.” She opened her mouth to protest again, but Wes gave her a withering look, and she closed it, crossing her arms.

Quinn side-eyed Rachel. “I don’t know why you’re so concerned about her saying Blaine didn’t need the rest of us. Considering how persistent you are that you should be the star, I wouldn’t put it past you to do the same thing.”

“That also brings me to my next announcement, but first, Quinn, how are you feeling? Think you are up for a little more action?”

The blonde woman looked at him, and then to Blaine. “What did you have in mind?” she asked.

Wes knew what he was about to say was going to set the petite brunette off again, but he didn’t even look at her. “I think you should take the lead with Blaine for the eighteen and over shows.”

Sure enough, Rachel let out a screech. “Are you kidding me?! She doesn’t even perform in those shows normally! You just said I did a good job last night! What is wrong with me continuing as lead while I have it?!”

It was Blaine who opted to respond. “No offense, Rachel, but there is no chemistry between us. And do you know how many fans out there think you’re my sister?”

“Quinn’s your best friend! How is that different?!” Rachel protested.

“We dated before,” Blaine said. And this was news to everyone who didn’t travel on his bus.

“Say what?” Rachel screeched.

Quinn smiled softly at Blaine. “He was my first.” She let people assume whatever they wanted from that statement. Kurt, Blaine, and Elliott would know she meant that Blaine was the first, and only, gay guy she ever bearded for. She’d known before Blaine even realized it himself that he was gay.

Wes just glanced around the group as they all whispered among themselves for a moment. “Okay, back to business. Rachel, I’m sorry. You will still have the lead in the regular shows until Tina returns, but Quinn will take over for the two late shows this weekend in Houston.”

Rachel looked thunderous, but before she could say anything more, the stage door opened and a tall, lanky Asian man entered, carrying a duffle in one hand, and pulling a rolling suitcase in the other.

“Sorry I’m late, my plane was delayed.”

“No worries, Mike, you’re just in time,” Kurt said. “Wes, this is Mike Chang. Mike, Wes Montgomery.”

Wes smiled and shook the newcomer’s hand. “Perfect timing, actually. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the newest member of our cast.”

Elliott grinned and shook Mike’s hand. “Good to see you, bro!”

Mike laughed and clapped him on the back. “I hope you’ve been behaving yourself, and haven’t been trying to get Kurt drunk at karaoke again!”

Kurt snorted. “He tries, but I’ve learned my lesson on that. You’ll never get me to sing That song again.”

“Um excuse me, not to be rude,” Sebastian said, tone dripping in sarcasm. “But, new member of the cast? You’re letting the pasty-face ghost boy give all his idiotic friends jobs?”

Wes cleared his throat and exchanged a glance with Blaine, raising an eyebrow as if asking if the magician wanted to handle this part.

Blaine nodded his head slightly. “With Mike’s arrival,” he started, moving to join Wes in front of everybody. “There’s been a major change to the cast for the remainder of the tour. I should have done this a long time ago, or else trusted my gut in the beginning.” He turned and looked directly at Sebastian, an un-Blainelike cold look on his face. “Sebastian, you’re fired.”

“Well, hallelujah!” Quinn said.

Rachel was looking confused, even as she eyed the new guy with a little hint of lust.

Elliott just laughed and put an arm around Kurt.

“What?” Sebastian quipped. “You can’t fire me! My father is a lawyer and he will sue you for every penny you have!”

Blaine came dangerously close to the whiny little meerkat. “Really? Because I have it on good authority your father disowned you about five years ago.”

Sebastian looked afraid for a moment, but he quickly pulled himself together. “You still have no grounds to fire me, and I have a contract!”

“Oh, I have no grounds to fire you?” Blaine asked incredulously, looking around at everyone else. “Who here, other than Sebastian, thinks I have no grounds to fire him, raise your hand?” he asked.

No one raised a hand. Kurt smirked, but didn’t speak.

Before Sebastian could respond, Blaine went on. “Hmm, everyone here seems to think there are grounds. I wonder what they could be? Oh, how about sexual harassment and conspiracy to commit bodily harm to someone else?” he asked seriously. The second part was a surprise to everyone but Blaine, Kurt, and Sebastian.

“It’s your word against mine on that. And how can you claim sexual harassment when you’ve been stringing me on for months?”

“When did I  _ ever _ give you the impression that I was romantically interested in you? Look around, Sebastian. All these other people would be backing me up. Where’s your back up?”

Sebastian let out a roar of anger. “You haven’t heard the last from me, Blaine Blackwell! You’ll be hearing from my lawyers!”

Wes signaled the three security guards he’d had standing by, and they began to escort the meerkat out of the building. “Okay, now that all the drama is over, it’s time to rehearse!”

Blaine approached Wes and looked at him seriously. “You better have the lawyers prepare just in case he actually tries anything,” he told his friend.

Wes just gave him a look. “Have I ever let you down?”

The magician grinned. “Nope. And that’s why you’re my manager. You actually care about me, unlike most managers might. So thank you.”

…

Rehearsals were going smoothly, despite Rachel’s constant complaints about not getting to keep the lead position. 

Elliott and Kurt were working with Mike, who was a fast study and was picking up the moves easily. Once he had the choreography down, Kurt and Sam began explaining the various riggings and props he would have to use during the show.

Meanwhile, Blaine was working with Quinn, making certain she was comfortable with the new costumes and props. It was true, Quinn never performed in the adults only shows, and as usual, only Blaine, Kurt, and Elliott knew why. As she tried on the costume for one of the racier acts, Blaine could tell she was nervous.

“They show,” she said, smoothing her hand over the side of her stomach, which was clearly visible.

Blaine took her hands and pulled her into a hug. “Are you embarrassed by them?”

She shook her head, which rested on his shoulder. “Maybe a little about how they look, but not what they mean.”

Blaine kissed her forehead. “If the costume makes you feel uncomfortable, we can change it. Or I can ask Kurt to cover the marks up with makeup.”

She sniffled a little, but pulled away. “I don’t want to ruin your show.”

“Quinn, sweetie,” Kurt said, joining them, “You won’t ruin it with those stretch marks. They are a badge of honor. You should wear them with pride.”

She let out a short bark of laughter. “Thanks Kurt.”

He smiled and hugged her. “I’m more worried about your physical comfort. How is the hip? Do you think you are ready for the physical demands of the show?”

“I’ll be fine. I have an appointment with a physical therapist in Houston before the show on Friday to help me limber up, so I should be good to go by the time I have to be on stage.”

Blaine looked her over carefully. “Okay, but if at any point things become difficult, don’t hesitate to let us know, and Rachel can take over.”

“Come on,” Kurt said. “The stage crew is on dinner break. We should go eat now, too. Elliott and Mike are waiting for us.”

…

**_@yadivagirl:_ ** _ Yay!! @KingRaja was back on stage tonight! Kurt was so gentle with him! I wish I could find someone who loved me the way @GlaszandPorcelain loves that tiger! _

**_@IHeartBlaine:_ ** _ Great show tonight! Who was the new assistant? _

**_@BastiansFaction:_ ** _ How dare you replace Sebastian? He was clearly the star of the show! You’ll regret getting rid of him! _

**_@BlaineKurtElliott:_ ** _ They got rid of Sleazebastian? Hurray! Who did they replace him with? Anyone has to be better than the creep! _

**_@IShipBlina:_ ** _ Ugh! It’s frustrating knowing that Tina isn’t there with Blaine! Hope she comes back soon! _

**_@KelliotStalker:_ ** _ Who was the new eye candy on stage with my boys tonight? I’m getting images of a hot three way right now… _

**_@BlackbirdTears:_ ** _ People are weird. It’s right there in front of your face, people! _

**_@blueandhazellove:_ ** _ I give up. Ship whoever you want. It doesn’t make it real. _

**_@SmellsLikeAdamLambert:_ ** _ They only see what they want to see. _

**_@BBlackwell:_ ** _ Great audience tonight! We’ll be continuing the tour here in Texas in Houston tomorrow night! _

**_@GlaszandPorcelain:_ ** _ Farewell, Dallas! It’s been crazy! _

**_@KingRaja:_ ** _ Grunt, Grumble, Mreow, mreow! (Translation: Why have I not received my back scratches and salmon tartar yet?) _

…

“To a flawless performance!” Elliott said, raising his glass as he, Kurt, Blaine and Mike relaxed after the show Thursday night in Houston. “And to Mike, for making it through his second show without pissing anyone off!”

The other three men laughed, and clicked glasses. 

“Honestly, though,” Kurt said, “Thank you for doing this on short notice, Mike. I don’t know how much longer we could have put up with Sebastian.”

“I don’t even know why you guys were trying to put up with Sebastian,” Mike replied, his face pulling a frown. The other three all glanced at each other.

“Mike?” Kurt said cautiously. “Do you know something we don’t?”

The Asian man shifted slightly uncomfortably in his seat and let out a sigh. “Nothing’s proven,” he said and again, the other three glanced at each other. “But I read something about how Blaine’s not the first successful person he’s attempted to take to bed, and subsequently tried to destroy when his advances were rejected.”

Blaine nearly choked on his drink. “What?!” he spluttered, grabbing a napkin off the table to wipe his mouth as his eyes went wide. “I’ve had the misfortune to know him for a while. How did I not know this?”

“No offense, Blaine,” Elliott said. “But you’re kind of oblivious.” He laughed and Blaine attempted to throw him a dirty look, but failed because he was too much of a puppy anyway.

“Plus,” Mike threw in, “like I said, it’s not proven.”

Kurt sat in his seat, stirring his mixing straw in his drink and looking contemplative. It was Elliott who pulled him back into the conversation.

“Kurt?” he questioned.

The pale man startled. “Huh?” he said.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh! Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Both Elliott and Blaine knew Kurt well enough to know that he was lying. Mike, while a good friend of his, didn’t know him quite as well as that and was about to change the subject when Blaine spoke.

“Come on, Kurt. You, Elliott, and I all know that isn’t true. What’s going on?”

The taller man sighed and leaned forward on the table, setting his drink down without sipping it. “I just have a nauseated feeling in my gut,” he admitted.

Elliott and Blaine exchanged nervous glances. Whenever Kurt felt like this, it was usually a warning that something bad was around the corner. And while it didn’t happen  _ every  _ time, when it did happen, it wasn’t wrong.

As if on cue, the door to the pub swung open, bringing with it a slight gust of wind and Wes. The four men turned to look at the manager, whose face was unreadable as he approached the table.

“Hey Wes, come to join us for a celebratory drink?” Elliott asked.

The other man shook his head. “Forget about that. We may have a problem.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good News! I'm posting this chapter a little early because I am going out of town today, but will be back tonight. Bad news. We're not sure when the next chapter will post. My Co-author was hospitalized with kidney troubles. She is home now, but it will be a while before she will be able to comfortably sit up and write. We were nearly finished with the last chapter of Gingerbread Kisses, and I will finish that and hopefully post it this weekend, but until she gets better, our joint stories are temporarily on hold.
> 
> Thank you all!

**Chapter Eight**

  
  


**_What’s going on behind the scenes at Blaine Blackwell’s show?_ ** __

_ Houston Chronicle reporter, Todd Whitman, investigates reports of sabotage, bad blood, and jealousy. Numerous sources talked about the incident that injured Blackwell’s assistant, Kurt Hummel earlier this week, hinting that it may not have been an accident. _

_ With the sudden dismissal of Sebastian Smythe, and Tina Cohen-Chang’s unprecedented break from the show, people are beginning to wonder if the rumors of discord among the cast are true. One witness I spoke to, on the promise of anonymity, told me that the assistants constantly bickered with each other, especially Cohen-Chang, Smythe, and Rachel Berry. Witnesses also told us that Blackwell and Hummel often appeared to snipe at each other. When asked about Elliott Gilbert and Quinn Fabray, we were told that they seemed to be the only ones who got along with almost everyone. _

_ The conflicts between the assistants mostly seem to stem from jealousy. Cohen-Chang made it publicly known earlier this week that she didn’t think Blackwell needed so many assistants, while at the same time seemed to announce the couple’s engagement. Backstage sources informed me that this did not sit well with the others, and resulted in a huge argument on the cast’s bus, with all of the assistants and Blackwell present, along with Blackwell’s manager, Wes Montgomery. This appears to be why Cohen-Chang took a sudden leave of absence, and my informant made it clear that it was not Cohen-Chang’s decision. _

_ Sebastian Smythe stated earlier today that his firing from the show was based on homophobia, and that he intends to sue Blackwell for breach of contract and discrimination. This leaves us to wonder if this is the cause of the discord between Blackwell and lead male assistant, Kurt Hummel, who is openly gay. Elliott Gilbert, also openly gay, denies these allegations, and states that Blackwell has never had an issue with gays or lesbians, and has been a big proponent of the LGBTQ+ community. _

_ As for the accident that injured Hummel during Monday night’s Dallas performance, police are investigating whether someone deliberately tampered with the rigging, causing the device to trigger earlier than it should have. Hummel required stitches, but otherwise wasn’t seriously harmed. _

_ I did manage to speak to Kurt Hummel briefly. I asked him about the tensions between the cast. _

_ “We all have strong personalities and opinions. Of course there are going to be disagreements. This doesn’t mean we all hate each other. This is a stressful business.” _

_ Thursday night’s performance here in Houston was sold out, and went off without a hitch. New assistant, Mike Chang, making only his second appearance, has integrated into the show seamlessly. _

_ Blackwell has four more performances in Houston, tonight and tomorrow night, including two eighteen and above only shows. _

…

Kurt rolled his shoulders as the stage crew prepared the next trick. The last couple of days had been a lot less stressful, with Sebastian gone and Tina still suspended. Yeah, Rachel was still being a harpy about not getting to be the permanent lead, but for the moment she had locked herself away in her dressing room until her scenes in the eighteen and over show. She’d been aloof and standoffish during the earlier show, as well.

“Need a massage?” Adam asked as he exited the stage, making the word sound dirty. “I could loosen you up really good.”

“Crawford!” Blaine called out harshly. “I want you to double check the rigging for the final trick. I don’t want Quinn to get injured again. And while you are at it, perhaps you might consider what happened with Sebastian before you continue making unwanted advances towards anyone on my cast and crew.”

The crew leader frowned at Blaine, but moved on to do as instructed. Once he was out of earshot, Kurt gave the curly haired magician a little smile. “Thanks.”

Blaine smiled back. “No problem. How are you feeling? Are you ready for this?”

Kurt smirked. “Let’s do it.” He held out his wrists, and Blaine smirked back, picking up a pair of shackles from the prop table off stage, and bound the pale assistant’s wrists, then tied a blindfold around his eyes. “Kinky,” Kurt muttered, just soft enough for Blaine to hear and blush.

The music cue swelled, and Blaine dragged Kurt on stage by the shackles. Kurt immediately fell into character, fighting and trying to get away, but Blaine subdued him, and attached the shackles to a hook above Kurt’s head. The magician then ripped open the white pirate style shirt Kurt was wearing. Blaine pulled out a pocket knife, flipping it open with a flick of the wrist, letting the audience see the blade. Holding up his left hand, he sliced a cut across the palm, blood welling as he made a fist. Turning to Kurt, he pressed his hand to his bare chest, leaving a bloody hand print. 

Elliott wheeled out a screen, placing it in front of a still struggling Kurt, and flicked a switch, before exiting the stage again. The screen sprang to life, revealing what appeared to be a video x ray of Kurt’s chest. The movement on the screen matched Kurt’s struggles exactly, proving that it was a live feed, and not pre-recorded. Blaine passed his hand behind the screen as well, waving it around, reinforcing the idea that this was a real x ray. He pulled his hand back, and then placed his still bloody fist next to the image of Kurt’s rapidly beating heart. Blaine began pumping his fist rhythmically, a slow steady beat. Slowly, Kurt’s struggles ceased, and the heart on the video x ray began to slow, and match the rhythm of Blaine’s fist, as Kurt seemed to fall under the magician’s thrall.

Once the heart was at a normal beat, and Kurt was still, Blaine moved to a nearby table and picked up two objects, showing them to the audience. One appeared to be a voodoo doll that vaguely resembled Kurt. The other was a long, thin needle. He held the doll up beside the x ray screen. He began to insert the needle into the doll’s side, just where the rib cage would be located. On the screen, a long, thin object slipped between two of Kurt’s ribs. The pale man screamed in pain as the audience gasped and cried out.

Blaine removed the needle from the doll, and the object slipped away on screen. With a smirk, the magician tossed aside the doll and needle, then picked up a rapier. Standing beside the screen, he thrust the weapon into Kurt’s ribcage, in the exact spot the needle had appeared, stopping just short of piercing the heart. He let go of the blade as Kurt screamed again, showing that the weapon was indeed impaled into something solid. After a dramatic swell of music, Blaine grabbed the handle and thrust it in deeper, piercing the heart. Kurt spasmed, then slumped as the heart on the video ceased beating. There were a few screams from the audience, as the dramatic music continued for what seemed an eternity.

Blaine pulled the blade out. It was coated in blood, causing several more outcries from the audience. He dropped the rapier to the floor, and pulled the blindfold off of Kurt. He slowly raised his left hand, which was still red with his own blood, and placed it next to the still heart on the screen. After a pause, he began pumping his fist once again in a rhythmic beat. At first nothing seemed to happen, the heart remained still, but after a moment, there was a spasm on the screen. After a couple more spasms, the heart began to fall into a normal rhythm once more, and Kurt gasped in a long breath.

The audience cheered and screamed as Kurt stood straighter, looking up into Blaine’s eyes. “Master?”

…

As Kurt exited the stage, he noticed Rachel looking at him, a speculative expression on her face. He frowned at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

She shrugged. “I just realized I’ve been so blind, and Tina never stood a chance, did she?”

Kurt wasn’t sure what the woman meant by that, and an uneasy feeling began to form in the pit of his stomach, but before he could ask what she meant, her cue came, and she strode onto the stage.

He stood there staring out at the stage, studying her. Had she figured out their secret? He saw her casually murmur something to Blaine that almost caused the magician to lose his timing on the trick, something that had never happened before. Damn, this could be serious.

“Kurt?” Quinn asked, moving up beside him. “Why are you standing here? You should be getting changed for the finale.”

“Rachel knows,” was all he said before hurrying off to his dressing room.

…

Despite it being nearly one in the morning by the time they got back to the hotel that night, Quinn practically dragged Rachel to Blaine’s room, where he and Kurt were waiting for them, along with Elliott.

“I might have known you two were in on it,” Rachel said, glancing between Quinn and Elliott.

Before Quinn or Elliott could say anything to her, Blaine cut in. “What the hell Rachel?! You could've thrown the whole show tonight!” Kurt clapped a hand to his shoulder while Raja nuzzled against his leg.

“Okay, maybe I should have waited to say anything, but you guys have been hiding this for three years now, and I just want to know why?”

Kurt looked at Blaine who looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel. “It’s not because we’re ashamed of it, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

She studied the two men closely for a moment. “Good, because there is nothing to be ashamed of. Just ask my two dads.”

Blaine drew a breath and shut his eyes. “We do plan on telling everyone. But Kurt and I kind of got off on a bad note and after the fact, hating each other kind of became part of our characters. And that’s why we still pretend to in public.”

She shook her head. “I’ve seen what they say on social media. Not everyone believes the act. But why didn’t you ever tell Tina? It’s no wonder she thought you were stringing her along.”

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other before Kurt answered her first part, about social media. “While it’s true not everyone believes it, the largest part of the fandom still thinks Blaine and Tina are a thing.”

The curly haired magician had to think carefully over how to word his answer to her second question. “I didn’t intend for her to believe there was anything between us,” he started. “You’re observant, Rachel, when have I ever done anything off-stage that may have suggested otherwise? On that note, I’ve known her a very long time and she has a bad habit of falling for guys who are gay and getting really hurt when it comes out. She goes into these fits about how no one will ever love her and I don’t want to be one of those people.”

“That’s actually one of the reasons we called Mike in,” Elliott said, reminding her of his presence. “He’s kind of sweet on her, and we’re hoping she’ll fall for him.”

Rachel thought for a few minutes. “So, why did you pull me in here, anyway? Were you afraid I’d blackmail you?”

Raja continued to nuzzle around Kurt and Blaine’s legs as the two of them glanced at each other. Neither one of them wanted to say what needed to be said, but there was no avoiding it. Kurt nodded to Blaine knowing it would be easier for him to say it in the nicest way possible.

“Look, Rachel, no offense, but you can kind of be high strung. I know how badly you want to be lead assistant. While Kurt and I are more than ready to finally be done with the act, now is not the right time or place. We may have been a little concerned about what you might do with the information.”

Again she remained silent as she studied the other four people in the room. “I won’t blackmail you into making me lead assistant, but maybe we can talk about giving me more stage time when Tina returns. And no, that doesn’t mean I’ll go tattling if you don’t do as I ask, it just means that I’m willing to be a bit of a buffer between you and her.”

Kurt looked at Blaine. “Rachel does have a point. And Quinn is still not in the best place to perform more.”

Blaine was quiet for a moment. “Maybe we can work out a more even stage time with all three of them. Not right away of course, because we’re still on tour. But we can use Rachel a little more in the illusions both she and Tina are already trained for. Then after the tour we can make sure they’re all trained in every illusion just in case.”

Rachel smiled. “Okay, it’s settled then. I just have one more question. Are you and Kurt going to make a public announcement about your relationship at some point?”

“That’s the plan, but when the time is right. For now, I won’t lie, it is getting harder and harder to hang on to,” Blaine told her.

She nodded. “Well, I’m going to my room and get some sleep. Maybe tomorrow you’ll tell me your story!”

…

**@IheartBlaine:** Awesome show! That voodoo x ray illusion was so HOT!

**@klainetkm:** Damn, I need a cold shower after that show!

**@FlashDanceGirl:** So, who is the mysterious new heart throb gracing @BBlackwell’s stage?

**@Kina4eva:** I still think Kurt and Tina are soulmates, but that picture someone leaked of tonight’s performance with Blaine and Kurt doing that Voodoo trick was kind of sexy, the way Kurt looked at Blaine.

**@IShipBlina:** I wonder why they didn’t perform that trick in New York? I mean, I know they don’t do the same illusions every night, but Damn, the picture makes me think things I never considered before.

**@blueandhazellove:** My gosh, are people finally opening their eyes?

**@SmellsLikeAdamLambert:** I told you they were hot!

**@BlaineKurtElliott:** Damn, I need a cigarette. Only thing that would have been hotter was if Elliott had been there too.

**@KingRaja:** Mreow, ung ung ung, grunt. (Translation: Hey, what about me? I was pretty darn sexy tonight, if I do say so myself!)

**@RajasRagina:** Raja is always sexy. Maybe Raja needs a girlfriend. Lord Tubbington has a girlfriend now, and she’s convinced him to stop smoking, and to give up gambling!

**@MChangChoreography:** Thank you all for making me feel so welcomed! It’s been amazing learning all about Magic!

**@BBlackwell:** One more night, and two more shows. It’s been Great So Far, Houston! Hope to see you all tomorrow night!

Private message: From  **@SmellslikeCraigslist**

To  **@BDAnderson**

I will ruin you! You can’t just cast me aside like that! I will have you begging on your knees! You know you want me! That pasty face twink can’t possibly satisfy you!

Private message: From  **@SmellslikeCraigslist**

To  **@BDAnderson**

Damnit, tell Elliott to stop hacking my account and changing my username!


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